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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. North Korea claims a successful hydrogen bomb test.
The U.N. Security Council says it is working to craft new sanctions against North Korea because of that test. Here is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "This test once again violates numerous Security Council resolutions despite the united call by the international community to cease such activities." In Washington, U.S. officials sharply criticized North Korea. Here is Pentagon spokesman John Kirby: "The international community does need to be united in a response to this, and that it does need to be robust to deal with this most recent test." U.S. analysis of the blast say it is "not consistent" with North Korea's boast that it now has hydrogen bomb technology. A military spokesman says coalition airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria killed about 2,500 militants in December. Colonel Steve Warren told reporters since coalition airstrikes began in August 2014, the Islamic State has lost at least 20,000 square kilometers of land it once controlled. He said the IS has not gained any land since May of last year. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says she supports the call by Liberians to reduce the presidential term of office from two six-year terms to two four-year terms. A constitution review commission set up by Ms. Sirleaf recommended last year to reduce the number of years the president can serve. The commission also recommended the term of office for senators be reduced from the current nine years to six, and representatives from six to four years. This is VOA news. Iraq's foreign minister offered Wednesday to act as a mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Relations between the two countries deteriorated this week following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. Turkey is seeking to avoid being embroiled in the deepening crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Dorian Jones reports. The growing diplomatic crisis between Tehran and Riyadh is seeing Ankara perform a delicate balancing act. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş issued a carefully worded statement condemning both the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, in line with Turkey's Western allies, called Tuesday on Riyadh and Tehran to act with common sense. Dorian Jones, Istanbul. The Pentagon has announced that two inmates from the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba have been transferred to Ghana. It says the decision to move the two suspected terrorists was based on several factors after a review of their cases. Ghana's Foreign Ministry identifies the two former prisoners as being from Yemen and says they were cleared of all terrorism charges. The Pentagon says 105 prisoners remain at Guantanamo. The man accused of supplying guns to the shooters in the recent California terrorist attack has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and other charges. Enrique Marquez Jr. Faces two charges of firearms violations for being the so-called straw buyer in the purchase of two assault rifles used in the attack in San Bernardino. Marquez is also accused of conspiring with shooter Syed Rizwan Farook to provide material support to terrorists. He also faces other charges. German officials say a series of sexual assaults and thefts that took place New Year's Eve in Cologne were likely part of a coordinated effort by a criminal gang. Police say about 1,000 men, mostly "Arab or Northern African," had gathered near Cologne's main train station around midnight throwing fireworks. After police moved in to break up the revelry, smaller groups of men began surrounding women passing through the area, groping and harassing them and stealing their belongings. Germany says nearly 1.1 million people registered as migrants within its borders last year. Its numbers released Wednesday, Germany said more than 400,000 migrants came from war-torn Syria. The next two largest nations of origin were Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghan authorities say that security forces made advances Wednesday in a southern district, killing 43 Taliban insurgents and wounding many others. The fighting was in Marjah. It erupted earlier in the day. From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |