VOA NEWS

February 14, 2018

From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Anne Ball reporting.



Israeli police on Tuesday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery in two criminal investigations. But the Israeli leader calling the allegations baseless vowed to remain in office.

Israel's attorney general will now decide whether to charge Netanyahu.

On TV Tuesday, he said any police recommendations to indict him on corruption charges "will end with nothing," adding he will continue to lead Israel responsibly and faithfully.



Three of the U.S. top intelligence officials told American lawmakers Tuesday they have seen Russian activity and intentions to impact the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.

Here is CIA Director Mike Pompeo. "We have seen Russian activity and intentions to have an impact on the next election cycle here."

The intelligence officials said they will share the information with state and local governments and election officials.



Ace Magashule, the secretary-general of South Africa's ruling party, says he does not know how President Jacob Zuma will respond to the party's declaration that he must leave office.

"So when we recall our deployee, we expect our deployee to do what the organization expects him to do. So, I don't know what will happen. But let's leave it to President Jacob Zuma."

Magashule said the African National Congress is looking forward to an amicable solution.



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The U.S. director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, warned on Tuesday that time is running out for the United States to act on the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

"North Korea continues to pose an ever more increasing threat to the United States and its interests. Pyongyang has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to negotiate its nuclear weapons and missiles away."

While the Trump administration has stressed its preference for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, it has warned that all options are on the table, including military ones.



U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Myanmar's government was preventing the United Nations Security Council and other groups from travelling to the Rakhine state. The country is also known as Burma.

And, Haley said the U.N. must hold the military accountable for its actions.

"To make sure no one contradicts their preposterous denials, they are preventing access to Rakhine to anyone or any organization that might bear witness to their atrocities, including the U.N. Security Council."



The Pacific nation of Tonga on Tuesday began the cleanup from the cyclone that destroyed its Parliament House, homes and churches, and was intensifying as it headed toward nearby Fiji.

Cyclone Gita caused power outages after tearing through the island just south of the capital, with winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour at landfall.

Graham Kenna is with the National Disaster Management office. "It's sad to see because a lot of heritage buildings in town have been destroyed, and there are a lot of houses that have host their roofs or lost part of the houses."

There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Tuesday of the need to remain focused on an "enduring defeat" of the Islamic State group.

"ISIS's so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria has crumbled, but ISIS remains a very determined enemy and is not yet defeated."

Tillerson spoke at a conference in Kuwait for members of the coalition the United States set up in 2014 for a multi-prong strategy of countering Islamic State.



From Washington, I'm Anne Ball reporting from Studio 24.

That's the latest world news from VOA.