This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, Sputnik Radio, and NHK World Radio Japan

http://www.outfarpress.com/swr190419.mp3

From GERMANY- First news briefs including a wind farm, Greta Thunberg meets the Pope, the extinction rebellion, and Trump vetoes a bill to stop funding the war on Yemen. Much of the European news focused on the fire at Notre Dame- here is a report on the funding for its restoration and how that compares to the Yellow Vests demands for social service funding. In Ecuador, supporters of Julian Assange have clashed with riot police.

From CUBA- The former foreign minister of Ecuador asserts that President Moreno turned on Julian Assange to improve relations with the US and secure a huge loan from the IMF. The Cuban Foreign Minister criticized the activation of part of the Helms-Burton law as an attack on international law and a move to create regime change in Cuba. The leader of the US military Southern Command says they are on the balls of their feet, awaiting orders to invade Venezuela. The Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN denounced the April 10th secret meeting in Washington on plans to intervene with mercenary forces in Venezuela.

From RUSSIA- Afshin Rattansi spoke with US journalist Greg Palast on the latest US attempt to create regime change in Venezuela. Greg describes the coup in 2002 when President Hugo Chavez was kidnapped and the racist roots of the anti-Maduro campaigns. He also explains why British Petroleum and the Koch Brothers oil refineries want new leadership in Venezuela.

From JAPAN- Using robotics, the first step of moving nuclear fuel within the Fukushima reactors has begun, 8 years after the devastating accident. In Finland a right-wing anti-immigrant party became the second largest political party in the nation. North Korean state-run media have begun referring to Kim Jong Un as Supreme Representative of all the Korean people.