Shares Fall in Asia and Oil Prices Gain as Talks Stall on Ending the Iran War

TOKYO (AP) — Shares retreated in Asia and oil prices gained on Tuesday as diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war once again appeared to stall. Despite a tenuous ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. Much of Asia, including resource-poor Japan, relies on that route for its oil shipments. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 …

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US DEA Medical Marijuana Registration Portal to Launch Wednesday

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) – ⁠Companies ⁠seeking to register as ⁠medical marijuana dispensaries after U.S. President Donald ​Trump ordered the rescheduling of cannabis can do so starting ‌on Wednesday, according to ‌a notice on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s ⁠website. The ⁠DEA’s medical marijuana registration portal will go live Wednesday ​at 9 a.m. EST, less …

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Soccer-Congressmen Call for National Guard to Address Drone Threats at the World Cup

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) – Two Republican ⁠members ⁠of Congress are calling ⁠on the Trump administration to empower the National Guard ​to address potential drone-related threats and ensure a “unified federal security posture” at the ‌upcoming World Cup games. The letter ‌by U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul and Elijah Crane, who both ⁠sit on ⁠the House …

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Taiwan on Alert After Spotting Two Chinese Warships Near Its Penghu Islands

TAIPEI, April 28 (Reuters) – Taiwan has spotted two ⁠Chinese ⁠warships operating in waters near ⁠the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait and has sent ​its own naval and air forces to keep watch, the defence ministry in Taipei ‌said. China, which views democratically governed ‌Taiwan as its own territory, sends its warships and warplanes …

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Trump Withdraws Nomination of Hospitality Executive to Head National Park Service

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) – The White ⁠House ⁠has withdrawn President Donald Trump’s ⁠nomination of a hospitality company executive to be director ​of the National Park Service more than two months after sending the nomination to the ‌U.S. Senate. The White House did ‌not give a reason for withdrawing the nomination of Scott Socha in …

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UNICEF Warns Afghanistan Could Lose up to 25,000 Female Health Workers, Teachers

April 27 (Reuters) – Afghanistan is at ⁠risk ⁠of losing more than ⁠25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030 if the ​Taliban-led country’s restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment are not lifted, according to ‌a new UNICEF report released ‌on Monday. The Taliban has banned women from most public sector jobs and ⁠limited …

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