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This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd in Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States could send as many as 15,000 military troops to the border with Mexico as he hardened his stance against the caravans of migrants [fleeding] fleeing, that is, violence and poverty in Central America. Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for the first of 11 rallies on the president's schedule before next Tuesday, Trump said that more troops are headed to the border to help prevent illegal immigration. "Immigration is a very, very big and very dangerous, a really dangerous topic. And we're not going to allow people to come into our country that don't have the well-being of our country in mind." The first caravan of fewer than 4,000 people was in the southern city of Juchitan on Wednesday about 1,400 kilometers from McAllen, Texas. A second smaller U.S.-bound caravan of about 2,000 people forced its way into Mexico Monday from the Guatemalan border. It settled down Tuesday in the Mexican town of Tapachula about 1,850 kilometers from McAllen. A Turkish prosecutor says Saudi [journey] journalist, that is, Jamal Khashoggi was killed by strangulation immediately after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Reuters Emily Wither reports. In a statement from the prosecutor it says the planned killing saw the Saudi critic suffocated and that his body dismembered and disposed of. The announcement comes after two days of talks with Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor who has been in Turkey as part of a joint investigation. The statement also said no concrete results were reached in those meetings. Khashoggi's death is escalated into a crisis for the kingdom, which at first denied any knowledge of or role in his disappearance. Emily Wither of Reuters. This is VOA news. The accused gunman in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting has been indicted. AP correspondent Warren Levinson has details. A federal grand jury indicted Robert Bowers on 44 counts, including hate crimes. Bowers is being held without bail and scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday. The indictment was expected prosecutors have indicated they'll seek to have Bowers put to death. "Today begins the process of seeking justice for the victims of these hateful act," U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said. The indictment came as three more funerals were held. Bowers is accused of killing 11 people and wounding six Saturday at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue. The two victims still hospitalized remain in intensive care but are improving, says the chairman of emergency medicine. I'm Warren Levinson. Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday overturned the conviction of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, who was charged with committing blasphemy, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan. The verdict indicates that the prosecutors had "categorically failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt." Asia Bibi was in an undisclosed location for her safety. Her attorney said she expected that she would leave the country soon. France and Spain have offered asylum to the 54-year-old mother of five who is a Roman Catholic. The landmark ruling sparked protests by hardline Islamists and raised fears of violence. Angry demonstrations against the verdict were held in several cities, including Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Companies are still finding workers in the United States even with the jobless rate being at its lowest level in nearly a half century. AP correspondent Mike Hempen has details. A private survey shows U.S. companies added robust 227,000 jobs in October, the strongest showing in eight months. Payroll processor, ADP, says employers added jobs in manufacturing, retail, and professional services such as engineering. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in September, the lowest level in 49 years. However, businesses have been staffing up at a rapid pace in response to healthy consumer spending and strong economic growth. Mike Hempen, Washington. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres announced Wednesday that Norwegian veteran diplomat Geir Pedersen will be his new envoy for Syria. Pedersen was widely rumored to be the top choice for the post. He succeeds Italian-Swedish envoy Staffan de Mistura who held the challenging job for more than four years. Pedersen is set to be the fourth U.N. envoy to try to bring to a close the Syrian conflict that began in 2011. A positive day on Wall Street. The Dow was up nearly 1 percent. The S&P was up 1.09 percent. The NASDAQ finished more than 2 percent higher. For more, visit our website. I'm David Byrd, VOA news. |