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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Forrest reporting. A thumbs-up from the Saudis.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday the Saudi Arabian leaders have assured him they support the recent nuclear agreement with Iran. Edward Yeranian reports. Saudi state television showed video of the meetings which included the deputy crown prince and defense minister, Mohammed bin Salman. Secretary Carter told journalists traveling with him that Saudi leaders surprisingly did not criticize the Iran nuclear agreement. "Both the king and the minister of defense reiterated their support for the Iranian nuclear deal." Carter said the Saudi king discussed the possibility of a snapback of sanctions on Iran, should Tehran not respect terms of the agreement. Edward Yeranian, Cairo. Police in northern Afghanistan say a suicide bomber riding a motorbike killed 19 people and wounded nearly 40 others Wednesday in a crowded marketplace. A police official says the attack was apparently aimed at military personnel. But he said the majority of the victims were civilians. A car bombing at a crowded market in Baghdad has killed at least 20 people and injured dozens. Iraqi police say the bombing late Wednesday hit a mainly Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital. Nearly 30 people were killed, more than a dozen wounded in multiple bomb blasts at two bus stations in the northern Nigerian city of Gombe late Wednesday. No group has claimed responsibility. At least 20 people were killed in northern Cameroon Wednesday in two suicide bombings. Officials are blaming the attack on the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram. The attacks happened simultaneously at a market and a neighborhood in the capital of Cameroon's Far North Region. This is VOA news. Votes are being counted in Burundi. The presidential election Tuesday is believed to have had a low turnout as President Pierre Nkurunziza ran without significant opposition for a third term. Burundi opposition leader Agathon Rwasa says dialogue is needed to avoid violence following the controversial election. "War can only destroy, while the dialogue can help us overcome all these troubles of ours." Official vote results are expected Thursday. The elections have been roundly criticized after the government ignored an opposition boycott and calls from the international community for a postponement due to election-related unrest. U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates the growth in American economic links with sub-Saharan Africa at a White House reception Wednesday evening. The U.S. president is preparing for a visit to Kenya and Ethiopia in coming days. A human rights group is accusing South Sudanese government forces and allied fighters with civilian killings, rapes and the destruction of property. Human Rights Watch says the alleged abuses occurred during a military operation in Unity State. United Nations aid agencies report the fighting in Yemen continues to take a heavy toll on civilians. Lisa Schlein reports. Civilian casualties in Yemen are growing as airstrikes and ground fighting continue. The United Nations reports more than 3,600 people have been killed, nearly half civilians, since Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign against Houthi rebels began March 26. It says another 17,300 people have been wounded, including 4,000 civilians. U.N. aid agencies report the war has devastated the country's economy and left 21 million of the nation's 25 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. Greece's banks received a new cash injection from the European Central Bank on Wednesday. The bank official neither confirmed nor denied that the ECB has decided to increase assistance to Greek banks by about $980 million, the second such cash injection in just under a week. Earlier in the day, lawmakers began another debate on a second package of reforms demanded by the ECB and the International Monetary Fund. The White House confirmed Wednesday that the administration is in the "final stages" of drafting a plan to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. President Barack Obama made the closure of the prison a priority when he took office in 2009, but the plan faced numerous setbacks. Inmates have slowly been transferred out. Now only 116 remain. I'm David Forrest in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |