VOA NEWS

September 10, 2015

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Forrest reporting. Nations consider what to do with migrants.



Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday the U.S. is trying to decide how many refugees from the Middle East and Europe it can take in.

Meanwhile, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker called for EU member states to take in thousands more refugees over the next two years.

"Now is not the time to take fright, it is the time for bold, determined, concerted action by the European Union, by its member states and by its institutions."

Junker's proposed quota system is running into opposition from some countries.



Islamist rebels have captured a major air base from government forces in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. They have expelled President Bashar al-Assad's forces. That comes from Syrian state television and a war-monitoring group.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry confirmed for the first time Wednesday that Russian military experts are in Syria.



Three more people have tested positive for Ebola in Sierra Leone. All three come from the same village in the Kambia district. All are related to a woman who died from the disease sometime last week.



Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says as president, she would impose penalties on Iran even for small violations of the recent nuclear agreement. She said she would "not hesitate" to take military action if Iran tries to obtain a nuclear weapon.

"We should anticipate that Iran will test the next president. They'll want to see how far they can bend the rules. That won't work if I'm in the White House."

Clinton spoke at the Brookings Institution in Washington.



This is VOA news.



Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says his government will not negotiate with the United States. Edward Yeranian reports.

The crowd applauded Ayatollah Khamenei's views on world and local affairs after listening to his positions toward the United States and other countries he referred to as enemies of Iran.

The Ayatollah Wednesday called the U.S. the "Great Satan," insisting Islam warns against cooperating with the devil.

Khamenei said Iran will not talk with the U.S. about global, regional or bilateral issues following the June nuclear accord except what is imperative.

Edward Yeranian, Cairo.



The heads of India's and Pakistan's security forces are due to hold talks aimed at reducing tensions along their disputed Kashmir border.

A 16-member delegation of the Pakistan Rangers was welcomed at the border by India's Border Security Force before heading to New Delhi, where the two sides will sit down for discussions starting Thursday.



Japanese stocks on Wednesday saw their biggest gain in almost seven years after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to cut corporate tax rates. Stocks elsewhere in Asia also surged.



Passengers and crew aboard a British Airways jet bound for London had a close call when an engine caught fire shortly before taking off from Las Vegas Tuesday.

All 172 people on board Flight 2276 safely evacuated the plane.



Britain's Queen Elizabeth made history Wednesday, surpassing her great-great-grandmother to become Britain's longest-ruling monarch.

The queen marked the day with a public appearance at the opening of a Scottish rail line.



Nigeria's army has hoisted the country's flag over the border town of Gamboru Ngala, days after recapturing it from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

The militants had used the town as a stronghold to launch attacks and kidnappings Nigeria and Cameroon.



Myanmar President Thein Sein has met with ethnic rebel negotiators. He is urging them to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement sometime before the country's November general election.



Two men pleaded guilty in U.S. federal courts Wednesday to charges of attempting to fly overseas to join the Islamic State.

Hanad Mustofe Musse entered his plea in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was arrested last year. Samuel Rahamin Topaz pleaded guilty in New Jersey to charges of conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State and planning to head overseas to join the terrorists.



From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David Forrest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.