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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting.
President Robert Mugabe, the only leader independent Zimbabwe has ever known, resigned Tuesday after nearly a week under house arrest. Mugabe had faced intense pressure to step down from the military, from his former deputy and from powerful war veterans, and from growing numbers of ordinary Zimbabweans. Correspondent Sebastian Mhofu reports from the capital, Harare. After a week of house arrest, negotiations, loud protests and finally impeachment proceedings, Robert Mugabe's epic 37-year tenure as Zimbabwe's head of state has ended. Speaker Jacob Mudenda read Mugabe's resignation letter just after parliament had moved to bigger facilities to begin impeachment proceedings. With words "I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in terms of Section 96 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, hereby formally tender my resignation with immediate effect." The house erupted into cheers, which spread to its cheers of Harare, the capital. Sebastian Mhofu, for VOA news, Harare. The U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe called Tuesday a historic moment for the country and said Zimbabwe must move toward free elections in which Zimbabweans choose their own leaders. The U.S. Africa Command says an American military drone strike has killed more than 100 al-Shabaab militants in Somalia. Military officials told VOA the strike on Tuesday hit an al-Shabaab training camp in the Bay region, about 200 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu. This is VOA news. A suicide bombing early Tuesday at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 50 people. There is no immediate claim of responsibility, but the bombing resembled numerous prior suicide attacks carried out by Boko Haram. It happened as people arrived for morning prayers at the mosque in the town of Mubi, located in Adamawa state. At least 20 people were killed Tuesday when an attacker blew up a vehicle in an Iraqi town south of Kirkuk. Dozens more were injured in the explosion, which hit a crowded market in the town of Tuz Khurmatu. The death toll is expected to rise. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Venezuelan authorities arrested the acting president of Citgo along with five other senior executives Tuesday for alleged corruption. Attorney General Tarek William Saab told a news conference that interim President José Pereira and other managers allegedly arranged contracts that put Citgo at a disadvantage. The six were accused of misappropriation of public funds, association to commit crimes and legitimation of capital, among other crimes. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Tuesday to support the United Nations in an effort to "peacefully resolve" the nearly seven-year-long Syrian civil war. The White House said the two leaders talked for more than an hour and stressed the importance of ending the humanitarian crisis in which millions of Syrians have been displaced from their homes. Reconciliation talks began Tuesday in Cairo among several Palestinian political factions, including Hamas, which controls Gaza and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Last month, (the ) two groups announced their intention to form a unity government. And, United Nations judges in The Hague are to decide within about 10 hours on a verdict in the trial of former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladić. He is accused of war crimes stemming from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Mladić is known as the "Butcher of Bosnia." He is the last former military leader to face war crimes charges in the court, which was set up to deal with the aftermath of the Bosnian war that raged from 1992 through 1995. Mladić has been on trial since 2012. He has been charged with 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in leading sniper campaigns in Sarajevo among other deeds. 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. |