VOA NEWS

August 13, 2017

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



A white supremacist rally in the U.S. city of Charlottesville, Virginia, tuned violent Saturday. One person has died and several more were injured when someone drove a car through a crowd of protesters.

President Donald Trump condemned the action. "It is no place in America. What is vital now is a swift restoration of law and order and the protection of innocent lives."

The car-running-through occurred as people were leaving the area after police deemed the demonstration unlawful when multiple vows of violence broke out at the rally between demonstrators and counter-protesters.



Kenya's opposition accused the security forces on Saturday of killing more than 100 people including children in a crackdown on post-election unrest.

It did not offer any proof and Reuters was only able to confirm 11 deaths nationwide.

Johnson Muthama, an opposition official: "The violence being meted out on these defenseless citizens in their residential neighborhoods is intended to subjugate the will of the people."

Kofi Annan, the former head of the United Nations and an mediator during Kenya's post-election crisis a decade ago which saw 1,200 killed, warned political leaders in Kenya on Saturday to be careful with the rhetoric and actions.



Donald Trump's talk of military action for Venezuela has drawn rebuke from several foreign governments, some even critical of Venezuela President Nicholás Maduro.

In Caracas, a few hundred opponents of Maduro marched to protest the recent jailing of several opposition mayors.

Amid the mounting tensions, there has been no statement of the main opposition alliance or its leaders.



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Parents of at least 35 children who have died in a state-run hospital in northern India over the past three days have alleged that the [facilities were due] fatalities were due to a lack of sufficient oxygen supply in the children's ward.

One uncle of a child who died spoke to reporters. "We saw a baby struggling to breathe immediately after the oxygen supply finished."

The chief of India's Uttar Pradesh state said an inquiry has been ordered to investigate the deaths of the children allegedly due to lack of oxygen supplies at the hospital.



U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on Friday evening. They reiterated their mutual commitment to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.

The leaders said that the most recent adoption by the United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea was an important and necessary step toward achieving peace and stability on the peninsula. The presidents also agreed North Korea must stop its provocative and escalatory behavior.

Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that diplomacy was still the best course of action but that the president was underscoring the severity of the situation.

"Well, I think it takes a combined message there if we're going to get effective movement out of the regime in North Korea. I think the president made it clear he prefers a diplomatic solution. I think he responded to that in effect just a moment ago. So, I think what the president is doing is trying to support our efforts by ensuring North Korea understands what the stakes are."



The Chinese Global Times recommended Beijing remain neutral in the event of a North Korean first strike but added China would intervene if the U.S. and South Korea collaborate militarily with the intent of ousting Kim Jong-Un's regime.



A suicide bombing in southwestern Pakistan Saturday evening killed at least 15 people, including soldiers and civilians.

Officials and witnesses said the bomber was riding a motorbike carrying explosives and hit a military truck transporting soldiers in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The blast in a high-security zone [of one] of the city also wounded at least 32 people. Several of the injured are in critical condition.

No one has claimed responsibility.



Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have left more than 30 people dead in Nepal during the last 24 hours.

Ten more people were missing and the number of dead looked to climb as large parts of the country were under water.

Rescue teams of soldiers, police and local people have been deployed to help those trapped on rooftops and higher ground.

Weather experts said more rain is expected overnight and the government has told residents to remain on alert.



For updates and in-depth coverage, point your web browser to voanews.com. I'm Steve Miller.

That's the latest world news from VOA.