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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting. Iraqi government forces and Shiite militias are attempting to drive Islamic State militants out of Anbar province.
Iraq's Defense Ministry said the country's Air Force conducted a number of airstrikes targeting the headquarters and vehicles of Islamic State militants. Officials said a series of targets were destroyed. Shiite militias also battled Islamic State fighters in the northern Iraqi city of Baiji hours after the militiamen broke a siege on Iraq's largest oil refinery just outside the city and freed 200 troops trapped at the refinery. Iraqi military leaders say that the key to taking the refinery is to take control of Baiji. ISIS fighters still control large parts of that oil processing facility. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said the international coalition it leads conducted 22 strikes in Iraq overnight, focusing on Ramadi, the IS stronghold of Mosul, and the area near Baiji. The leader of an opposition party in Burundi has been shot dead by unknown assailants in Bujumbura.. Witnesses and residents say Zedi Feruzi, the head of the UPD party, and at least one of his bodyguards were killed in a drive-by shooting Saturday. The attack is the latest violent incident in the country following President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for another term in office. And at least 45 people have been killed in fighting between Somalian government troops and al-Shabab militants. Officials say dozens of people were also wounded when heavily armed al-Shabab fighters launched surprise attacks on government troops before dawn, south of the capital, Mogadishu. This is VOA news. Ireland has voted to legalize same-sex marriage by a nearly 2-1 margin, making it the first country to approve gay marriage by a national vote. The yes outcome is due in part to thousands of young Irish voters who returned home from abroad to cast their ballots. Huge crowds cheered outside Dublin Castle when the vote was announced Saturday. Enda Kenny is Ireland's prime minister: "The decision makes every citizen equal, and I believe that it will strengthen the institution of marriage for all existing and for all future marriages. All people now have an equal future to look forward to." The conservative Roman Catholic church is a dominant force in Ireland and many clergy have expressed opposition to a constitutional change. The secular Irish government, on the other hand, supports it. In Europe, gay marriage is legal in more than a dozen countries. President Barack Obama used his weekly address to mark the Memorial Day holiday and to pay tribute to those who have died in uniform. The president said that this year, Memorial Day is especially meaningful because it is the first time the holiday has bee observed since the war in Afghanistan ended. Mr. Obama called on Americans to remember the sacrifice of those killed in action, including the 2,200 lost in Afghanistan. "We cannot bring them back. Nor can we ease the pain of their families and friends who live with their loss. But we are the Americans they died to defend. So what we can do, what we must do, is fulfill our sacred obligations to them, just like they fulfilled theirs to us." On Monday, the president will take part in a special ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to those who have died in military service. Demonstrators protested outside a Cleveland courthouse following the acquittal of a white police officer who was part of a 137-shot barrage that left two unarmed black motorists dead in November of 2012. In a statement, the U.S. Justice Department said that it will review the case. The statement said the U.S. attorney's office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice department's Civil Rights Division have been monitoring the investigation into the incident. Officer Michael Brelo was one of 13 police officers who pursued and shot at Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. Brelo fired 49 shots, including 15 down through the windshield while standing on the hood of the suspects' vehicle. He was the only office charged in the incident. The judge in the case said that the prosecution did not prove its case. I'm David Byrd reporting in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |