Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi met at the White House Tuesday for talkswith U.S. President Barack Obama. It was his first visit to Washington asprime minister.
Mr. Obama and Mr. Abadi discussed the threat of foreign fighters in Iraq and U.S. aid to Baghdad. Mr. Abadi was expected to make his case to PresidentObama for a "marked increase" in U.S. military aid to fight Islamic Statemilitants.
Following the meeting, President Obama announced $205 million in additionalU.S. humanitarian aid to Iraq. However, he did not mention providing moreweapons and military support.
Obama removes Cuba from terrorism list
The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama is removing Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. The removal is an important step in thepresident’s efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.
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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and President Barack Obama get up from their seats after their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, April 14, 2015. |
The White House said on Twitter that Mr. Obama has turned in requiredreports to Congress that explained his plan to take Cuba off the list.
Mr. Obama made the final decision following a State Department review ofCuba's presence on the list.
Al-Shabab attacks Somali ministry
The Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for Tuesday'sbombing and assault on a government complex in the capital, Mogadishu.
Security Ministry spokesman Mohamed Yusuf told VOA’s Somali Service that 18 people were killed and at least 15 others wounded in the attack on thecountry's Higher Education Ministry.
A witness said militants set off a car bomb outside the ministry walls, allowingthe attackers to enter the building and open fire.
Parents, activists mark one year since Chibok girls taken
It has been one year since Boko Haram took 296 teenage girls from theirschool in the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok.
A total of 219 girls are still missing.
School-age girls took part in a march Tuesday in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. The girls served as “ambassadors” for the Chibok girls. Participants chanteda now-familiar phrase: “Bring Back our Girls. Now! And Alive!”
Amnesty International says more than 2,000 women and girls have beentaken by Boko Haram since the beginning of 2014.
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Words in the News
threat – n. someone or something that could cause trouble, harm, etc.
humanitarian aid – n. help or money given to people, countries, etc., in orderto improve living conditions
ambassador – n. (figurative) a representative for someone or something
