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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. Japanese leader expresses anger at the U.S. president.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told U.S. President Barack Obama of his country's "profound resentment" over a former U.S. Marine's involvement in the killing of a Japanese woman outside an American military base. Mr. Abe made the remarks at a news conference after discussing the slaying with Mr. Obama in a meeting before the G-7 summit. Mr. Obama said he expressed his "sincerest condolences." "We did discuss the tragedy that took place in Okinawa and I extended my sincerest condolences and deepest regrets." The two leaders discussed the incident just days after Japanese authorities arrested Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine, [who said they] who they say confessed to stabbing and strangling the woman. A Ukrainian pilot held in Russian custody has been released. Nadiya Savchenko arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday after spending nearly two years in a Russian prison. She was greeted as a hero and thanked her countrymen for her release. The 35-year-old army helicopter pilot was released as part of an apparent prisoner exchange with Russia. Afghanistan's Taliban says Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada has been appointed its new chief following the death of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. The Taliban also formally confirmed that Mansoor was killed in a U.S. drone attack last week. The new leader was a deputy to Mansoor along with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network. This is VOA news. The United Nations says nearly three million people in drought-stricken Zimbabwe are going hungry. Lisa Schlein takes a look. U.N. Resident Coordinator for Zimbabwe Bishow Parajuli says the impact of little rain and low crop yields following two years of drought is painfully visible in Matabeleland and other dry lands. "We could really see the desperation and severity of the situation." A few weeks ago, the United Nations appealed for $360 million to provide life-saving assistance for more than three million people. The priority needs are for food, water, health, nutrition, sanitation and protection. Lisa Schlein, Geneva. A leaked U.S. State Department inspector general's report finds Hillary Clinton and previous secretaries of state failed to follow guidelines to avoid security risks when using personal emails for official business. The report was to be released Thursday but State Department officials hastily called a news conference Wednesday to answer reporters' questions about the findings after they were leaked. Senior officials said there was no evidence Clinton sought approval to use her personal email account to conduct official business, which she was obligated to do. The head of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration admits it's going to be a difficult summer for air travelers. Peter Neffenger told at a congressional hearing Wednesday that the agency is taking several steps to ease the congestion currently plaguing the nation's airports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expanded his coalition government. Mr. Netanyahu signed the coalition agreement in the Knesset with new partner, nationalist Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party. Lieberman is a polarizing figure in Israeli politics and takes a hard line on relations with the Palestinians. He will serve as the new defense minister, playing an influential role in the key policy decisions related to security. Eurozone finance ministers say they have reached a "major breakthrough" in negotiations in the latest debt relief arrangement for Greece after talks in Brussels Tuesday night. The International Monetary Fund had demanded a reduction in Greece's debt burden as a condition of further IMF bailout funds. In U.S. political news, a New Mexico rally for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was disrupted Tuesday evening by demonstrators who broke through barricades. Dozens of police officers, many on horseback, repeatedly warned protesters to stay away from the sidewalk in front of the rally venue. Bottles and rocks were reportedly thrown. A few protesters made it inside the rally, repeatedly interrupting Trump's speech. From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest. That's the latest world news from VOA. |