VOA NEWS

December 27, 2016

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



A Russian search and recovery operation is continuing around the clock in the Black Sea where a military passenger plane crashed Sunday, killing all 92 people on board.

Russia held a national day of mourning Monday in honor of the dead.

The plane was on its way from Sochi to a Russian military base in Syria.

There were no survivors.



India has successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable, intercontinental Agni-V missile. The missile can hit targets more than 5,000 kilometers away. It was the fourth test for the missile.

Defense analysts say the longer-range Agni-V was developed with an eye on China, which India views as a threat.



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in Hawaii, where he will visit Pearl Harbor with President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The White House has said Mr. Abe's visit would highlight the alliance between the former enemies.

Mr. Abe will be the first Japanese incumbent prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor since 1951. His visit Tuesday comes 75 years after the attack that thrust the United States into World War II.



Egypt says it has arrested an Al-Jazeera producer.

The Interior Ministry identified the broadcaster as Mahmoud Hussain. He was arrested Friday on charges of disturbing security and spreading false news accounts.

Al-Jazeera said the charges were "fabricated' and demanded that Hussain be released immediately.

Al-Jazeera's news coverage is often criticized by [Egyptian's] Egypt's government. The arrest is raising concern about the freedom of journalists working in Egypt.



This is VOA news.



U.S. President Barack Obama visited American troops at a military base Sunday perhaps for the last time during his presidency. Mr. Obama and his family are vacationing in Hawaii.

He called his time as commander-in-chief "the privilege of my life."

"It has been the privilege of my life to serve as your commander-in-chief. I know Michelle feels the same way when it comes to being able to stand alongside our military families and our veterans."

Meanwhile, Mr. Obama told interviewer David Axelrod, a former adviser, that he has utmost confidence in his vision for the country, and that if he had run again, he would have defeated Donald Trump in the recent U.S. presidential election.



Senior officials from China, Pakistan and Russia will meet in Moscow on Tuesday to review the growing threat to their frontiers posed by Islamic State extremists in Afghanistan.

The countries say they have been driven to a joint action by the terrorist group's growing influence in Afghanistan.

They say they may include Iran in future meetings.

The Afghan government will not be invited to the talks and reportedly is questioning the motives of the meeting.



Police in Thailand have arrested nine more people for hacking government computers following a wave of cyberattacks. Those attacks were a protest against a new law restricting Internet use.

Police say one of those arrested was teenager, Natdanai Kongdee, who was charged in connection with the attacks that blocked some government websites and leaked data.

They say Natdanai confessed to carrying out the hacking.

Hackers say they are protesting recent amendments to the country's Computer Crimes Act, which activists say will be a setback to Thailand's reputation as a regional leader of free speech.



Indonesian authorities say they are planning more counter-terrorism operations after killing two militants who were suspected of planning an attack.

A national police spokesman said investigators are trying to get more information about planned attacks from at least 14 suspected terrorists with connections to the Islamic State.



English singer George Michael has died at the age of 53. Michael enjoyed immense popularity earlier in his career as a teen idol with the group WHAM!.

He died in his home on Christmas Day, according to his manager, of heart failure.

This woman lives in his village.

George Michael dead at 53.



The Turkish military says an Islamic State attack in the Syrian town of al-Bab killed at least 30 civilian and wounded many others Sunday.

They say Islamic State militants used mines and bombs to prevent civilians from leaving the town.



In Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.