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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. More uncertainty about Syrian talks.
Indirect talks in Geneva to find a way to end Syria's civil war slipped into disarray Tuesday, with neither side holding formal sessions with the U.N. envoy. Meanwhile, the Syrian government Tuesday allowed trucks carrying humanitarian aid to travel into a rebel-held area near Damascus as a demonstration of good will. But the opposition called it an "empty" gesture. The United States and its allies Tuesday said they will "accelerate and intensify" their campaign against the Islamic State militant group. The foreign ministers of 23 nations met in Rome Tuesday and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told them they would destroy ISIS. "Even with these critical steps forward - and we talked about this today - the members of this coalition fully recognize that this fight is a long-term proposition." :John Kerry. A United Nations agency says North Korea has announced plans to launch an earth observation satellite later this month. The Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union confirmed to VOA that North Korea has sent notification of its intention to launch a satellite between February 8 and February 25. It says the satellite will have a duration of four years and will be launched in a non-geostationary orbit. A State Department official says the satellite launch by North Korea would be an egregious violation of its international obligations. Two passengers were injured Tuesday when a plane taking off from Mogadishu, Somalia, was struck by an explosion. The blast blew a hole in the side of the plane, which made an emergency landing. Officials gave no reason for the explosion. This is VOA news. The World Health Organization warns of a potential surge of a neurological disorder in babies with possible links to the Zika virus. Lisa Schlein reports. The World Health Organization has declared the recent surge of microcephaly cases and other neurological disorders in Brazil a Public Health Emergency of International Concern because of its strong association with the Zika virus. WHO reports that cases of microcephaly in newborn babies in Brazil have soared to nearly 4,200 between October and January - a 10-fold increase over previous years. The abnormal neurological condition has now spread to 25 countries in Latin America. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. European leaders are reviewing a plan that they hope will persuade Britain to stay in the 28-member European Union. Britain's initial reaction to the new plan was that it makes "real progress." Prime Minister David Cameron said "more work is to be done," but it appears there can be a real change, he says, "in relations between Britain and the European alliance." "We're never going to sign up to things like a European army, we're never going to sign up to an ever-closer union, we're going to make sure we maintain our independence as a country." :David Cameron. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has laid out his military spending priorities for the 2017 Pentagon budget. The $583 billion budget request shifts the weight of defense spending to "five challenges," including competition from Russia and China, regional threats from North Korea and Iran, and the threat of terrorism. U.S. President Barack Obama met with the top Republican congressional leaders Tuesday. He laid out five legislative priorities for the new year. The White House said Mr. Obama wants Congress to approve the Pacific Rim free trade pact, to resolve the financial crisis in the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico, support more research for finding a cure for cancer, ease mandatory prison sentences for some criminals, and fight the country's opioid addiction epidemic. He said [there] these issues will cost about [$1.5] $1.1 billion in new spending. The 2016 U.S. presidential campaign quickly moved Tuesday to the northeastern state of New Hampshire, a day after Texas Senator Ted Cruz won the Republican caucus vote in Iowa. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton barely edged ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders. Cruz parlayed strong support from Iowa's Christian evangelicals and a superior election-day organization to defeat Trump. New Hampshire's primary elections are set for next Tuesday. In Washington, I'm David DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |