VOA NEWS

August 30, 2016

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting.



U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has called on Turkey to "stay focused' on the fight against the Islamic State group and not to engage with U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the region.

"We've called on both sides to not fight with one another, to continue to focus the fight on ISIL. That's the basis of our cooperation with both of them."

The Turkish military and its Syrian rebel allies are in the sixth day of a campaign designed to drive IS militants and Kurdish YPG members out of the Syrian border town of Jarablus and its surrounding areas.

The U.S. says Kurdish forces have given assurances that they will return east of the Euphrates River.



The U.S. State Department is continuing to warn U.S. citizens of an increased threat from terrorist groups in Turkey.

In a travel advisory issued Monday, the State Department said it urges Americans to avoid traveling to the southeastern part of the country, especially to areas close to the Syrian border.



Testifying Monday at her impeachment trial, suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff denied allegations of manipulating government accounts.

Ms. Rousseff addressed the Senate repeating her claim that the impeachment drive was a "coup."

Rousseff is accused of taking illegal state loans to cover deficits in the budget.



U.S. actor Gene Wilder has died. He was 83.

Wilder's nephew said Monday the actor-writer died earlier this month in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Wilder starred in such comedy classics as "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."



This is VOA news.



Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says she wants to cooperate closely with the United States in the fight against terrorism.

Secretary of State John Kerry announced Monday that the two countries have agreed to work together in the areas of law enforcement and intelligence.

Kerry said he had a "very candid conversation" with Ms. Hasina [outside] about outside influence on terrorism in Bangladesh.

"There is evidence that ISIL in Iraq and Syria has contacts with about eight different entities around the world and one of them is in South Asia, and they are connected to some degree with some of the operatives here."

Sheikh Hasina's government has been accused by analysts of not recognizing the foreign source of terrorism in the country and insisting that attacks as homegrown.



The U.S. and India have signed a key logistics agreement that will enable U.S. and Indian forces to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters Monday at the Pentagon that he and Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar formally signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement earlier in the day.

Parrikar also spoke to reporters: "And both of us are satisfied at the progress we are making in our defense ties. As was noted, this is our sixth meeting in about a year. This reflects our shared intent to take the India-U.S. defense partnership forward." :Manohar Parrikar.



Authorities say a suicide attack in the Yemen city of Aden has killed at least 45 people and wounded dozens.

Officials say a suicide bomber drove his car Monday into a building used by pro-government troops.

There has been no claim of responsibility.



Iraqi officials say five suicide bombers attacked a wedding party, killing at least 15 people.

The French news agency says 20 people were wounded in the attack Sunday in the town of Ain al-Tamer.

Officials say there was no immediate claim of responsibility.



The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has found evidence the two U.S. state election databases were breached recently by people believed to be foreign hackers. The law enforcement agency is urging state election officials to enhance their computer security systems.



FARC rebel commanders have ordered a final cease-fire in Colombia beginning Monday as part of a peace agreement with the government.

FARC and the government have been negotiating a permanent accord for the past four years in Havana, Cuba. The agreement was reached last week and to end 52 years of fighting between the Marxist rebel group and various Colombian governments.



In Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.