From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals located in San Francisco is preparing to hear a case that will decide whether President Donald Trump's temporary ban on immigration from seven countries should remain suspended.

A federal judge in Seattle Friday suspended key parts of the president's ban.

The appeals court refused to set aside the judge's ruling until after it hears the case. That means travel from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen continues for the time being.

Nearly 100 companies, two states and two former U.S. secretaries of state have filed friend of the court arguments against the ban.

The three-judge panel is expected to rule fairly quickly.

Legal analysts say the case will likely end up in the Supreme Court.

That's French presidential candidate François Fillon, saying he will continue his campaign despite media reports that he paid his wife an unjustified salary for 15 years while he was a member of parliament.

Claiming his wife was fairly paid for the work she did, Fillon only apologized for the "error" of judgement in employing his family.

Fillon's popularity has declined significantly since the issue emerged.

A delegation of experts is meeting in Kazakhstan to discuss the cease-fire agreement in Syria.

Representatives from Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United Nations held the first meeting of the Joint Operational Group.

They are discussing various issues, including how to monitor the cease-fire agreement and prevent violations, as well as how to insure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

This is VOA news.

U.S. President Donald Trump promised to give the military his full support in a speech to troops at the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM. CENTCOM is located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.

"You've shed your blood across the continents and the oceans. You've engaged the enemy on distant battlefields, toiled in the burning heat and bitter cold, and sacrificed everything so that we can remain safe and strong and free."

In a brief speech following lunch with enlisted personnel, Mr. Trump also expressed strong support for NATO. He said he only asked that all of the NATO members make what he called "their full and proper financial contribution."

The White House says President Trump will attend a meeting of NATO leaders in May. The president spoke by phone Sunday with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Leading United Nations and humanitarian organizations are calling for an end to female genital mutilation. Lisa Schlein reports.

Nearly 200 million girls and women are living with the harmful, traumatic consequences of female genital mutilation, and the United Nations reports an additional three million girls, most under the age of 15, continue to be mutilated every year.

U.N. agencies report half of all women and girls have been cut in three countries - Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. They add that the highest prevalence of FGM among girls ages 14 and under is found in Gambia, Mauritania and Indonesia.

Lisa Schlein, Geneva.

The Israeli parliament Monday passed a measure that would legalize thousands of Jewish settlements in the West Bank built unlawfully on private land owned by Palestinians.

The vote was 60-52.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to join the United States in imposing new sanctions on Iran because of its recent missile test.

The two leaders met at 10 Downing Street in what British officials had hoped would focus on boosting economic relations.

European Union foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini says she plans to hold talks in Washington this week with key members of the Trump administration.

She told reporters her main goal is to find ways the EU and the United States can cooperate and work together.

European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told the Reuters news agency on Monday that it will take a "miracle" for Britain and the EU to finish Brexit negotiations within the allotted two years.

Katainen said EU officials are bracing for very difficult negotiations.

On another topic, he said the EU could freeze the voting rights of Poland if that nation does not adhere to the rule of law.

In Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.