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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Vincent Bruce reporting. A new Islamic State group video is causing reaction internationally.
The Japanese government and the United States are trying to authenticate a purported Islamic State video that shows the apparent beheading of hostage Kenji Goto. The new video appeared on the Internet Saturday, two days after the latest deadline set by Islamic State militants demanding the release of an Iraqi prisoner. A day earlier Friday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama said in Amman, Jordan, that progress to secure the release of a Jordanian pilot and the journalist, Goto, had "become deadlocked." Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe rejected concerns that his election as chairperson of the African Union could cause friction with the West. VOA's Gabe Joselow has a report. Speaking to reporters Saturday at the close of a heads-of-state summit in Addis Ababa, President Mugabe said he is not concerned with how the West might perceive his leadership. "What the West will say or do, that's not my business. My business is to ensure...." Rights groups and mostly Western governments have criticized Mugabe for suppressing his opponents during nearly three decades in power in Zimbabwe. In 2003, the United States imposed economic sanctions targeting top Zimbabwean officials for "undermining democratic processes" and seeking to destabilize the country through political intimidation. Mr. Mugabe began his one-year term as chairperson of the AU at the start of the summit Friday. Gabe Joselow, VOA news, Addis Ababa. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met in Boston, Massachusetts, with his counterparts from Canada and Mexico for talks that covered subjects that covered subjects from trade cooperation to the fight against extremism. Kerry said they discussed efforts currently underway to defeat violent extremism and the battle against Islamic State. This is VOA news. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said Saturday the nation faces a long fight to defeat Islamic extremists after a series of attacks on security forces in the Sinai Peninsula. Mr. Sissi delivered the warning in a televised address Saturday after cutting short his trip to the African Union summit in Ethiopia to respond to the violence. At least 30 security personnel were killed in Sinai Thursday in multiple assaults. The Islamic State group's affiliate in Egypt claimed responsibility for the attacks. Paul Sullivan [is] of Georgetown University spent many years in Egypt. He believes the Egyptian military is a major force against terrorism in the Arab world and that it needed U.S. support in the Sinai. "This is an increasingly dangerous situation. The groups in the Sinai, some of them have signed up allegiance to the so-called Islamic State. The wall against complete chaos in the region will be the Egyptian military, and we need to support them." Peace talks between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists ended Saturday without a deal as fighting raged in the country's east, killing both soldiers and civilians. The talks in Minsk broke up after several hours. Ukraine's envoy, former President Leonid Kuchma, blamed separatist negotiators who he said refused to discuss steps for a cease-fire and withdrawal of heavy weapons. Denis Pushilin of the Donetsk People's Republic said a dialogue, not Ukraine's monologue, is necessary for the Minsk agreements. Shelling in the strategic transport hub of Debaltseve killed 12 civilians Saturday, according to the police chief of the rebel-held Donetsk region. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who presides over Europe's largest and strongest economy, has again ruled out debt forgiveness for Greece's international rescue loans. However, the German leader promised to stand by Greece and other debt-ridden European nations if they continue their own economic reforms. In Athens Saturday, new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he believed Athens and its creditors could reach a mutually beneficial agreement to ease terms of the bailout. U.S. President Barack Obama says it is time to decide what kind of country America wants to be. He spoke in his weekly address Saturday, the president said he is sending budget to Congress based on "the idea that this country does best when everyone get their fair shot, everyone does their fair share." "I know there are Republicans in Congress who disagree with my approach. And like I said in my State of the Union Address, if they have ideas that will help middle-class families feel some economic security, I'm all in to work with them." More on all of these stories at voanews.com. I'm Vincent Bruce in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |