VOA NEWS

July 15, 2017

From Washington, this is VOA news. Hello, I'm Steve Miller.



U.S. lawmakers want Donald Trump Jr. to testify about his June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer thought to have information that could damage Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Democratic House minority leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted that the idea that Trump campaign wanted to possibly collude with Russia was disturbing and also added today, "Members of Congress take a sacred oath. I do solemnly swear and that to uphold the Constitution of the United States is what our responsibility is. The president also takes that oath."

Several Republicans have urged the president to remove his children from White House positions and for Trump Jr. to testify about the meeting.



An Egyptian security official says the two female tourists who were stabbed to death at a Red Sea resort were German. VOA's Andrew Palczewski.

The official says that four other foreigners were wounded in Friday's attack at a hotel in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada. He also says the wounded included citizens of Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Another security official had said that the wounded were from Serbia and Poland.

The previous contradictory information reflected the confusion in the immediate aftermath of the attack, involving foreigners and one of Egypt's most popular resorts.



A teenager has been arrested in connection with a series of acid attacks which left several people with facial burns in east London.

According to police, one of the victims has sustained "life-changing" injuries.

Authorities say two assailants on a moped tossed acid at a 32-year-old and stole his moped before proceeding to carry out a number of other attacks over the course of 90 minutes on Thursday evening.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of robbery and grievous bodily harm, according to the police.



This is VOA news.



The U.N. human rights office has condemned the repressive and often deadly tactics employed by Venezuelan government security forces against peaceful protesters. From Geneva, Lisa Schlein reports.

The United Nations says some 90 people have died and more than 1,500 others injured while protesting the continued rule of Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro.

The U.N. human rights office is concerned that plans by opposition groups to hold a public hearing Sunday on Maduro's intention to rewrite the constitution could turn violent.

Human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell is urging the government to make sure security personnel to not use excessive force. "We are very concerned more than 450 civilians have reportedly been brought before military tribunals."

Throssell says civilians accused of a crime or an illegal act should appear before civilian court and all those who have been arbitrarily detained should be released.

Lisa Schlein, for VOA news, Geneva.



A Chinese official said the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010 was "blasphemy."

Liu was one of China's best-known political prisoners. He died Thursday at the age of [thirty] 61 following a battle with liver cancer.

U.S. lawmakers had a different view on Liu's treatment and death. U.S. Republican Senator John McCain blamed the Chinese government. And Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen spoke of Liu's commitment to freedom.

China has large complaints against Germany, France, the United States and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights over criticism surrounding the handling of Liu's death.



Iraq's military may try to eradicate the Islamic State terror group's remaining forces by simultaneously attacking the terror group on multiple fronts in the hopes of taking advantage of infighting and a weakened leadership.

The strategy would be a bold one given the casualties Iraqi forces suffered while trying to retake Mosul.

The U.S. Defense Department estimated IS forces inflicted a 40 percent casualty rate on Iraq's elite Counter Terrorism Services during the nine months it took to reclaim the city.



The U.N. envoy for Syria says he has seen no sign that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has given any ground on possible political transition to end the multi-year civilian war.



I'm Steve Miller in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.