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This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.
Legal experts gave an American history lesson as they testify in the House impeachment probe on Wednesday. We get more from AP's Sagar Meghani. At the Judiciary Committee's first impeachment hearing, Stanford's Pamela Karlan was among three legal experts arguing the president committed impeachable offenses with actions toward Ukraine, saying drawing a foreign government into American elections is an especially serious abuse of power "because it undermines democracy itself." On the other side, George Washington University's Jonathan Turley argues Democrats have not proven any impeachable offenses and warned them against moving too fast to oust a duly elected president without a better case. "... you're gonna leave half the country behind." But panel Chair Jerrold Nadler says with the election approaching, Democrats must hold the president in check if the facts demand it. "President Trump will almost certainly try again." The probe remains a partisan brawl, which ranking member Doug Collins calls a "sham." "This is not an impeachment. This is just a simple railroad job." Sagar Meghani, Washington. Meanwhile, President Trump accused Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being "two-faced" Wednesday after Trudeau and other NATO leaders appeared to have made critical comments about him. A recording of a reception at Buckingham Palace Tuesday night shows Trudeau huddling with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Princess Anne, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rute and French President Emmanuel Macron. Trudeau was overheard apparently commenting on Trump's lengthy impromptu exchange with journalists, during which Trump had said Trudeau was perturbed over his remarks that Canada is not fulfilling its NATO financial commitments. Elsewhere Wednesday, NATO leaders released a statement promising to focus more on the challenges post by Russia and by rising superpower China. For more, be sure to visit our website voanews.com. This is VOA news. Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, who devoted decades of his life to helping people in Afghanistan, was killed with five others in a gun attack on his vehicle. Reuters David Doyle has more. The head of Japanese aid agency Peace Japan Medical Services died in hospital. One of six people killed after gunmen attacked their vehicle in the eastern Afghan city, Jalalabad. The ambush came a week after a grenade attack on a U.N. vehicle in Kabul, heightening fears for those doing humanitarian work amid one of the world's longest-running conflicts. An eyewitness saw the attack on Nakamura's vehicle: "When the vehicles of the Japanese man arrived in this area, the attackers opened fire on them and shot at the Japanese man, his driver, his bodyguards. Right after the attack when the Japanese man raised his head, one of the attackers shouted and said, 'He is still alive.' They shot him again." Nakamura had been involved in rebuilding Afghan irrigation and agriculture and had recently been granted honorary Afghan citizenship for his decades of humanitarian work. Reuters David Doyle. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un mounted a white horse again as North Korea announced Wednesday it would soon reconvene a meeting of the ruling party's leaders. We get more from Francesca Lynagh. State news agency [KNCA] KCNA reported that Kim was accompanied by senior military officers aimed at instilling a "revolutionary spirit" in the people. It was the second time in two months that he has visited North Korea's sacred Mount Paektu on horse back, something he often does around the time of major developments in North Korea. Kim has warned the United States it has until the end of the year to offer more concessions to restart stalled denuclearization talks or North Korea will pursue an unspecified "new path." Analysts believe that may include a resumption of intercontinental ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. Reuters Francesca Lynagh. A Texas group has been ordered to stop plans to build a private border wall. AP's Tim McGuire reports. "We Build the Wall," which raised $25 million in donation, has been ordered to stop construction of border wall on private land near the Rio Grande River. Texas state judge Keno Vasquez has issued a temporary restraining order telling the group officials and its founder to be in court for a hearing on the 17th of this month. The nonprofit National Butterfly Center, which is near the site, asked for the temporary restraining order. In a joint statement, the Butterfly Center and Earthjustice called the project illegal. The International Boundary and Water Commission, a joint agency set up by the U.S. and Mexican governments, has also asked We Build the Wall and its construction partner for more information on their plans I'm Tim McGuire. For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, be sure to log on to our website voanews.com. I'm David Byrd, VOA news. |