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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is seeking the support of Saudi Arabia in strengthening a cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria.
The efforts come ahead of a broader set of talks on regional crises coming later this week. Kerry met with Saudi King Salman, a key supporter of rebels trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Kerry next plans to co-host a ministerial level meeting in Vienna on security and support for Libya's new government. Militant attacks across Iraq Sunday left at least 29 people dead and more than 70 wounded. Officials say the Islamic State group is claiming responsibility for an attack on a state-run natural gas plant near Baghdad that killed at least 14 people and wounded 27. A suicide bomber blew up a car in the front gate of the facility. Then at least six militants wearing explosive vests entered it and engaged in gun battles with security forces before security forces could neutralize the attackers. The militants were able to set fire to three of the facility's gas storage containers. Afghanistan's security forces said Sunday they have halted advances overnight by the Taliban on a key northern city and have inflicted heavy casualties on them. Witnesses say the fighting on the outskirts of Pul-e-Khumri erupted when the Taliban overran several villages and security outposts. Successful counterattacks forced the rebels to retreat. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko is admitting that Russia has a problem with illegal drug use by its athletes and says he is sorry his nation's cheating athletes were not caught sooner. He made the remarks in an article in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper. This is VOA news. In Yemen, a suicide bomber standing in a line of men at a police recruitment center near Mukalla blew himself up, killing at least 25 people and wounding 60. The Islamic State group posted a statement online claiming responsibility. British authorities say a suspicious device they found Sunday at the Manchester United football stadium was not a viable bomb. After it was found, tens of thousands of fans were ordered to leave the stadium just 20 minutes before kick-off against Bournemouth in the final Premier League match of the season. The match was eventually called off. Albert Morgan used to work for Manchester United. "We were told to get out of the stadium. We obeyed the signals and ???, you know, there was no panic. Everybody was well-behaved." :Albert Morgan President Barack Obama is urging graduates at Rutgers University to pursue positive change in the world despite enormous challenges. Leaders at the New Jersey university had lobbied Mr. Obama for years to [develop] deliver the address at the school's 250th commencement. "The truth is, Rutgers, I came here because you asked. It's true that a lot of schools invite me to their commencement every year, but you are the first to launch a three-year campaign." The president is also scheduled to speak June 2 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Donald Trump's treatment of women through the years is getting a new look by U.S. media now that he is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Two of the country's most prominent news outlets, The Washington Post and The New York Times, both have published stories on the subject. The Times says its investigation reveals Trump's unwelcome Romantic advances to women and other unsettling workplace conduct. Women comprise the majority at the U.S. electorate in November's national presidential election. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and said a Paris summit aimed at restarting Middle East peace talks will proceed despite Israeli objections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is opposed to the talks. He says he prefers direct talks between his government and the Palestinians without preconditions. Police in Bangladesh say they have arrested a suspected Islamist extremist in connection with the recent deaths of an outspoken homosexual rights advocate and his friend. The two were hacked to death in a Dhaka apartment last month by at least six men who stormed in with machetes and machine guns. A spokesman says Dhaka police have detained Shariful Islam Shibab, who was identified as a member of the Islamist militant group that claimed responsibility for the killings. I'm David DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |