VOA NEWS

January 20, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. The U.S. Supreme Court to address immigration.



The court announced Tuesday it will hear a case challenging President Barack Obama's plan to protect more than 4 million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

The president's executive order also allows the illegals to work in the United States. That order is opposed by 26 states.

The Supreme Court said it would hear arguments in April and decide the case by late June, about a month before the major political parties select their presidential candidates.



Libya's warring factions have agreed to create a unity government. Political chaos and factional fighting has engulfed the country since the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

It remains unclear whether the agreement will draw wide enough support to end the fighting. But there has been no immediate reaction from the country's two rival legislatures.



Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is welcoming the lifting of international economic sanctions against his country. He says Iran must remain wary of the United States as curbs on Iran's nuclear program are fully imposed.

Mr. Khamenei wrote Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to congratulate him Tuesday on the implementation of the nuclear pact but cited what he called "the need to be vigilant about the deceit and treachery of arrogant countries."



Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed al-Shabaab militants will pay a "heavy price" for the attack Friday that reportedly killed dozens of Kenyan soldiers in southern Somalia.

Speaking in a nationwide broadcast Tuesday, Mr. Kenyatta said Kenya is "unbowed."

The flag-draped caskets of four Kenyan soldiers killed in Friday's attack arrived in Nairobi's Wilson Airport late Monday.



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The United Nations said Tuesday nearly 19,000 people were killed in Iraq between January, 2014 and October of last year. It says more than 3 million people left their homes.

Peter Wilson is a deputy United Nations representative from the United Kingdom. "2016 needs to be the year that we end the most challenging protection of civilians issue: the crisis in Syria. And I am not making a political point there, we have to have a list of priorities and that must be at the top of it."

The report says militants are believed to be holding 3,500 sexual slaves mostly of the Yazidi minority and continue to carry out systemic and widespread violations and abuses of international human rights law.



After being released from Iran as part of a prisoner exchange, a group of Americans got to meet Monday with family and supporters.

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian met with his senior editors at a German hospital where he is recovering. Former U.S. marine Amir Hekmati met with [family] family members and his congressman and reporters.

"This is all still surreal and we're just soaking it all in right now. But there is a lot that I have to say about the experience, and what happened, and I hope to bring that to the American people and the world."

American pastor Saeed Abedini is also undergoing treatment at the German hospital.

Not much is known about a fourth American whose reason for being in Iran, in the first place, are still unclear.



U.S. President Barack Obama has praised Australia for being an effective partner in the fight against the Islamic State.

Mr. Obama spoke at the start of talks at the White House with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"In our fight against ISIL, Australia is the second largest contributor of troops on the ground after the United States. They have been a consistent and extraordinarily effective member of the coalition." :President Obama.



Taiwan's premier has left his post following elections that will bring the opposition party to power. Ralph Jennings takes a look.

Taiwan Premier Mao Chi-kuo has taken leave from his job, saying he will not be back. He expressed worry Saturday about his ability to govern after voters elected a president and parliament from the opposition party.

The opposition leaders are expected to take a tougher stance on ties with political rival China and a hobbled cabinet now may be unable to sustain the trust it has built up with Beijing since 2008. The premier also asked his cabinet to quit, and President Ma Ying-jeou is considering whether to give approval.

Ralph Jennings, Taipei.



Officials in northwest Pakistan say a suicide bomb blast Tuesday killed at least 12 people and wounded many more.

The Taliban is claiming responsibility for that attack.



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

That's the latest world news from VOA.