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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting.
A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed Friday and three others wounded in a fight with al-Shabaab in Somalia. A U.S. military official told VOA the special operation soldier was killed near Barire, about 65 kilometers west of Mogadishu. Two other Navy SEALs and an interpreter were wounded in the attack. At the White House, Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Trump had sent condolences to the families. "Obviously, we first and foremost want to express our deepest condolences and our deepest appreciation for all of the men and women in the military and the ultimate sacrifice that they paid - particularly this soldier and all of the others." The Navy SEAL who died in the operation against al-Shabaab is the first American military person to be killed in the war-torn country since 1993. North Korea on Friday accused the governments of the United States and South Korea of carrying out an unsuccessful assassination attempt against leader Kim Jong Un. State media reports quoted the country's security ministry as saying it would "ferret out and mercilessly destroy" the agents in the United States and South Korean spy agencies it accuses of plotting the attack. North Korea's State Security Ministry said American and South Korean spies coerced a North Korean citizen into carrying out the assassination attempt using a biochemical agent in return for money. The North Korean statement did not provide details about how it allegedly broke up the assassination plot or if anyone else was involved or in custody. For more on these stories, you can always log on to our website voanews.com. This is VOA news. French votes go to the polls on Sunday to elect either far-right candidate Marine Le Pen or former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron as their new president. Luis Ramirez reports from Paris the election features two very different visions of France's future. It has been an emotionally charged campaign as France decides whether to stay the course of globalization or chart a new path outside of the European Union with fortified borders and an emphasis inward in line with a changing trend in much of the world. Nationalist Marine Le Pen came second in a first round but hopes her promises of returning French factory jobs and boosting social benefits will win over the far-left. Like in Donald Trump's election, quiet voters could bring a surprise after polls leading up to the vote put former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron solidly in the lead. One of the highest unemployment rates in Europe and a string of Islamist terrorist attacks have prompted big questions about globalization and what many perceive as failed policies. Luis Ramirez, VOA news, Paris. Meanwhile, the campaign of Emmanuel Macron says it has been the victim of a massive and coordinated hacking attack. The campaign said in a statement late Friday night that some campaign emails and financial documents were hacked a few weeks ago. They are now being circulated on social media. It said whoever is behind the leaked documents is trying to "seed doubt and disinformation" and destabilize Sunday's presidential runoff. A deal hammered out by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up de-escalation zones in mostly opposition-held parts of Syria went into effect in the early hours of Saturday. However, the U.S. is not part of it and a Russian spokesman said Friday that U.S.-led coalition warplanes would not be allowed in the de-escalation zones. Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed to a Moscow-proposed deal Thursday to establish those zones in Syria in an attempt to end the six-year conflict. Iraqi forces pushed further into Mosul from the north on Friday, the second day of a new effort to speed up the dislodging of Islamic State. Footage taken by a drone operated by the Iraqi Ninth Armored Division over the northwestern suburb of Musherfa showed that the militants had few defenses there. The militants are now besieged in the northwestern corner of Mosul which includes the historic Old City. The U.S. job markets staged a rebound in April, with employers adding 211,000 workers to their pay rolls and the unemployment rate falling to a 10-year low of 4.4 percent. Analysts say that makes it more likely the Federal Reserve will remain on track to raise its interest rates again in June. For more on these stories, log on to our website voanews.com. I'm David Byrd in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |