VOA NEWS

August 4, 2018

This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd in Washington.



The U.S. State Department said it was reviewing Zimbabwe's election results Friday and called on political leaders to "show magnanimity in victory and graciousness in defeat."

Speaking in Harare, incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa called on all Zimbabweans to support him and work toward what he called a better future.

"Though some will inevitably be disappointed with the outcome, I urge everyone to be calm and peaceful, and to look forward."

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said Monday's peaceful election had been manipulated and that the results would be challenged in court.

"and I must say that Mr. Mnangagwa did not win the election in the country. The election in this country was won by the MDC Alliance presidential candidate and we won that election emphatically. We have our tally, which tally we are ready to give those who want to see the tally."

The State Department statement urged all parties concerned to pursue election grievances peacefully and through what it called "established legal channels."



At least 29 people were killed and more than 81 others wounded when a pair of suicide bombers stormed a crowded Shi'ite mosque in eastern Afghanistan Friday.

The assailants dressed as women in burqas entered the mosque in Gardez, the capital of the Paktia province and sprayed worshippers with bullets.

One of the attackers were was shot dead by a security guard. The other blew himself up.

The provincial health director told VOA that scores of injured people were taken to two city hospitals.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bloodshed in Paktia, which borders on the border of Pakistan.



For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, log on to our website voanews.com. This is VOA news.



Gaza's Health Ministry said one Palestinian was killed and 50 wounded by Israeli army fire Friday as thousands gathered for protests near the fence between the Hamas-ruled territory and Israel.

Ahmad Yaghi was hit with a live round in the chest in eastern Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The ministry said 70 others were injured.



The United States on Friday slapped sanctions on a Russian bank for helping North Korea evade U.N. Security Council measures designed to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said it also targeted an individual and two entities for "facilitating North Korean illicit financial activity."

The development comes as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to urge leaders of Southeast Asian countries' meeting in Singapore to maintain sanctions against Pyongyang, which is negotiating with the U.S. to dismantle its weapons programs.



The Trump administration is dismissing China's threat to slap tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods if President Donald Trump moves ahead with tariff threats against Beijing.

As AP's Shelley Adler reports, China said its tariffs would range between five and 25 percent.

The reaction comes from press secretary Sarah Sanders, who says "instead of retaliating, China should address long-standing concerns about its unfair trading practices."

Chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow had a warning for China.

The Trump administration has already slapped a 25 percent tax on $34 billion in Chinese products and is readying levies on another 16 billion.

Shelley Adler, Washington.



NASA has assigned the astronauts who will ride the first commercial capsules into orbit next year and bring human launches back to the U.S.

AP's Ed Donahue reports the crews hope to return to space within the next 12 months.

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana says nine astronauts are assigned to ride the SpaceX Dragon and Boeing Starliner capsules. It gives the U.S. the capability to get to the International Space Station from Florida.

"so we no longer have to rely on our Russian partners to get our crews to space."

Taking Russian capsules to space costs the U.S. as much as $82 million a seat.

One of the nine astronauts is Nicole Mann.

"It's gonna be a proud moment for the team. It's gonna be a proud moment for America."

SpaceX is shooting for a test flight without passengers in November, Boeing at the end of this year or early next year.

I'm Ed Donahue.



The U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs in July. An unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent.



I'm David Byrd, VOA news.