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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Forrest reporting. A new focus on Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department says Secretary of State John Kerry is headed to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin and other top officials. The talks are an effort to ensure that U.S. views are clearly conveyed to the Russians. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has again accused Moscow of violating the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine by providing aid to separatists. "But in eastern Ukraine, we see more loss of life, a rise in the cease-fire violations, obstruction of the monitors and continued Russian support for the separatists." He repeatedly accused the Kremlin of lending support to pro-Russian rebels -- something that Russia has repeatedly denied. U.S. security and nuclear energy officials are briefing key lawmakers Monday. It's about a proposed 30-year extension of a U.S. nuclear power cooperation agreement with China. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to Saudi King Salman by telephone today regarding this week's White House Gulf summit which the king has declined to attend. The White House says the two leaders talked about the agenda for the meeting. The talks open at the White House Wednesday, then move to Camp David, a presidential retreat in Maryland on Thursday. The summit will include ways to deepen U.S. security cooperation with Gulf nations. The United Nations says 300,000 people in South Sudan have lost access to help from relief groups. The groups were withdrawn from the town of Leer due to fighting in the area involving rebel groups and government forces. The U.N. warned Friday that the violence has forced up to 100,000 people to flee their homes. This is VOA news. Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have shot down a Moroccan F-16 warplane taking part in the Saudi-led air campaign targeting them. Morocco's military said the jet was last seen Sunday evening and that the pilot was not seen ejecting from the crash. A humanitarian cease-fire is due to go into effect in Yemen on Tuesday. South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has elected its first black leader. Mmusi Maimane takes over from Helen Zille, who has been at the helm of the party for eight years. Gillian Parker has more. At 34 years of age, the charismatic politician known for his sharp oratory skills and slick campaigns is often dubbed the "Obama of Soweto." Mmusi Maimane pushes away such comparisons, but observers say his appointment as a new leader of the Democratic Alliance party could help shift a political landscape that currently tilts heavily in favor of the ruling African National Congress party. Analysts say that Maimane's appointment is unlikely to win the party a national vote, but could be a key step toward eroding the ANC's 20-year hold on power. Gillian Parker, Johannesburg. Macedonian authorities say 30 people captured in a northern town after a day-long gunbattle have been charged with terrorism-related offenses. Twenty-two police and gunmen were killed in the ethnic violence. A court in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Monday identified the suspects as 18 residents of neighboring Kosovo, as well as 11 Macedonians and one Albanian. Europe is waiting wearily for the next steps of British Prime Minister David Cameron after the electoral victory of his euro-skeptic conservative party. Lisa Bryant takes a look. With Mr. Cameron's promises to hold a referendum by 2017 on Britain's membership to the European Union, concerns about the EU's future are back. The two top EU chiefs, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU President Donald Tusk, say they are willing to listen and negotiate with Britain. French President François Hollande says he is also willing to discuss Britain's place in the EU. But Mr. Hollande says that while it's legitimate to talk about British aspirations, there are rules in Europe, including the free circulation of people which Mr. Cameron wants to limit, that members must stick by. Lisa Bryant, Paris. Lawyers for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have concluded their bid to persuade a jury to sentence him to life in prison rather than death. The last of 44 witnesses called by his defense attorneys over eight days of testimony was a Roman Catholic nun, a death penalty opponent, Helen Prejean. I'm David Forrest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |