VOA NEWS

August 10, 2014

From Washington, this is VOA news. A report now: fresh airstrikes in Iraq. China rejects calls to freeze provocative acts in the South China Sea. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting from Washington.



Another four airstrikes reportedly have been carried out by U.S. military against Islamic State militants who were firing on civilians in northern Iraq.

According to the U.S. Central Command, Saturday's strikes involved jet fighters and drones and targeted armored carriers and a truck. It described the strikes near Sinjar as successful.

Saturday's strikes followed word by U.S. President Obama earlier in the day that U.S. military airstrikes in Iraq had successfully destroyed arms and equipment that Islamic State militants could have used against the Kurdish capital of Irbil.

The president said the problem posed by the group will not be solved in weeks and is going to take some time.

Additionally, Mr. Obama said the leaders of both Britain and France have agreed to join the United States in providing help to the refugees.

A White House statement says Mr. Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed Saturday [to develop operations] to develop options to secure the civilians' safety.

Iraqi leaders have expressed thanks to the United States for airstrikes and relief to stranded Yazidi refugees.

The advance of Islamic State militants toward the Kurdish capital appears to have halted for the time being.



China has dismissed U.S. calls for a freeze on "provocative acts" in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in attendance at a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw Saturday said the U.S. and ASEAN had a shared responsibility to ensure maritime security in the region.

"The United States and ASEAN have a common responsibility to ensure the maritime security of critical global sea lanes and ports. We need to work together to manage tensions in the South China Sea and to manage them peacefully and also to manage them on a basis of international law."

But China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi disputed the U.S. positions, saying any talk of rising tensions was an exaggeration.

The South China Sea has become a center of debate at the regional meetings of ASEAN amid growing tensions over potentially resource-rich areas claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia but more broadly by China.



Israel says it will not negotiate under fire as it continues to bombard Gaza in response to rockets from Hamas militants.

Palestinian officials said they expect an Israeli delegation to return to Cairo Sunday for talks with Egyptian negotiators on a long-term cease-fire. Israelis say they will not join the talks as long as the attacks continue.

Both sides exchanged attacks Saturday a day after a 72-hour-long cease-fire expired with no progress in Cairo towards a longer-term truce. The Israeli army says Hamas fired 100 rockets at Israel since the truce ended, and that Israel targeted what it calls "120 terror sites and nine operatives."

Hamas demands Israel lift its long-standing blockade of Gaza while Israel insists Gaza be demilitarized first.



Saturday was the final day of campaigning by candidates in Turkey's first directly elected presidential vote. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

In Istanbul, supporters of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's presidential bid are campaigning hard in the final hours of Turkey's election, the first time the country will choose its president by direct popular vote.

Mr. Erdogan contends that a directly elected president has a mandate to exert more power.

According to the constitution, Turkey's president is the head of state but parliament holds the country's real political power.

In contrast to Mr. Erdogan, his rivals, Selahattin Demirtas and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, are campaigning against "authoritarianism" and promising they will not make significant changes in the country's balance of power.

Dorian Jones, VOA news, Istanbul.



Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine say they are ready for a cease-fire with the government amid gains by Ukrainian forces against the rebels.

Kyiv has not yet responded to the rebel offer. But the government has said it could agree to a cease-fire if the separatists give up their weapons.



More on all of these stories at voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA.