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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says Thursday's presidential election must go on with or without opposition candidate Raila Odinga. At a rally Monday in a neighborhood in the capital, Nairobi, he said, "We are here requesting you with a lot of respect. Please let's agree to come out in large numbers and vote for me." Thursday's election is Kenya's second try this year to elect a president. The Supreme Court threw out the results of the August 8 election because of what it called "irregularities and illegalities." Opposition leader Odinga has withdrawn his candidacy. He said [Canada] Kenya's electoral commission has failed to undertake electoral reforms. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan to discuss the new U.S. strategy for South Asia with the country's leaders. In a statement issued by the U.S. embassy in Kabul, [said the U.S.] the secretary stated the new U.S. strategy and made clear the United States commitment to working with the government of Afghanistan and with partners across the region to achieve peace in Afghanistan and deny safe havens to terrorists who threaten that goal. The U.S. and Afghanistan have long alleged that Afghan Taliban, particularly their deadliest arm, the Haqqani network, has safe havens in Pakistan. But Pakistan claims it has cleared out all militant safe havens in previously lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan through a military operation. Tillerson also made a previously unannounced visit to Iraq after he visited Afghanistan. This is VOA news. U.S. and Turkish diplomats continue talks on resolving a dispute over recent visa curbs as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan steps up his rhetoric against the United States. Bilateral relations could be further strained by an upcoming court case. Correspondent Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. Political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website says Erdoğan's increasingly tough rhetoric against Washington should be viewed in a wider context of importance of bilateral relations to both sides. "He is a master of coming out with bellicose remarks at unexpected and sensitive moments. But we must realize that, you know, Erdoğan was in New York very recently and had a very chummy meeting with Donald Trump who called him a special friend. So, you know, Turkey is aware for all the problems it has with America, too, that it has to tread carefully." Observers point out Erdoğan's tough rhetoric is in part motivated by domestic politics. A tough anti-American stance plays well with Turkish nationalists Erdoğan is courting for 2019 presidential and general elections. But U.S.-Turkish relations could be further strained with an upcoming Iranian sanction busting court case in the United States that involves Turkish-Iranian businessmen Reza Zarrab and senior members of a Turkish State bank. Dorian Jones, for VOA news, Istanbul. President Trump will use his upcoming trip to Asia to further consolidate international pressure on North Korea to attempt to deter its pursuit of perfecting a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile. A senior White House official briefed White House reporters on Monday, defending the administration's more assertive stance toward North Korea. The officials said, "If we fail to confront and reverse the threat, we're going to be living in a much darker era." Indonesia's military chief has decided not to travel to the United States although the initial issue that prevented him from traveling has been resolved. The Armed Forces commander was preparing to board a flight to the United States with his wife on Saturday when the airline told him that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had denied him entry. The United States said the issue was quickly resolved and the general was booked on another flight, but he chose not to travel. The U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia, Erin McKee, apologized for the situation on Monday and said after meeting with the Indonesian foreign minister that the matter had been resolved. There is more on these and other late breaking and developing stories, from around the world, around the clock, at voanews.com and on the VOA news mobile app. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting from the world headquarters of the Voice of America in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |