From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Steve Karesh reporting.

Lawyers for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who pled guilty to endangering his comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009, are awaiting a judge's ruling on their motion to dismiss charges. This based on comments made by President Donald Trump.

As candidate for president, Trump called Bergdahl a traitor who deserved to be executed.

Bergdahl's lawyers maintain that Trump's comments constitute an unlawful command influence that prevents Bergdahl from getting a fair sentence. He faces life in prison.

The judge is expect to rule on the motion Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Pakistan for the first time to urge the country's leaders to step up counter militancy and counterterrorism efforts.

Tillerson met with the prime minister, the country's military chief and other top officials.

They discussed continued bilateral cooperation and partnership, and expanding economic ties between Pakistan and the United States.

Tillerson also discussed strategy with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ahead of his trip to Pakistan, where he said he'll urge Islamabad to take action to curtail the support terrorist groups like the Taliban are receiving.

"... so our relationship with Pakistan will also be conditions-based. It will be based upon whether they take action that we feel is necessary to move the process forward of both creating the opportunity for reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan, but also ensuring a stable future Pakistan."

Tillerson said the U.S. will stay in Afghanistan until a process of reconciliation and peace can be secured.

He is scheduled to hold talks with Indian leaders Wednesday in New Delhi.

From Washington, this is VOA news.

Kenya made history when its Supreme Court nullified the results of the August 8 presidential election as [either] neither transparent nor verifiable. VOA's Anita Powell has more.

The aftermath of Kenya's August election is continuing to unfold before Thursday's do-over poll. But analysts say that the country is already taught lessons to other Africa nations seeking to further democratize.

Jakkie Cilliers is the chairman of the board of the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies. "But, the court ruling still presents a new benchmark, where rule of law, constitutional democracy, sets a new bar."

"But it is too soon to know," says Africa analyst Rebekka Rumpel of the Chatham House research group. "If we have the kind of election that people, that observers, view as not free and fair on Thursday, for example, I think that kind of compounds a narrative of a kind of authoritarian trend in East Africa."

This is Kenya's second presidential election since the adoption of a new constitution.

Anita Powell, VOA news, Johannesburg.

In American politics, the widening lift within President Trump's own ruling Republican Party has gone even wider Tuesday as two prominent senators openly and strongly criticized the president.

In a speech announcing that he will not seek another term, Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona said that the Republican Party has fooled itself long enough [that Trump] thinking that Trump would return to decency, adding that he can no longer keep quiet.

"I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr. President, I will not be complicit or silent."

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is also decided not to run again, has recently become an outspoken and very blunt critic of Trump. He renewed his criticism again.

"The president has great difficulty with the truth on many issues."

Those senators are from Trump's own political party.

Trump on Tuesday renewed his social media attack on Corker calling him incompetent, saying he could not get elected as dog catcher.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says that Flake's decision not to run again was probably a good move and she accused Corker of grandstanding on TV.

At the closing of the Chinese Communist Party Congress in Beijing on Tuesday, the Constitution was amended to add President Xi Jingping's name and ideology, putting him on an equal footing with China's other notable leaders, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

"... wise justification for Xi Jinping to become kind of Mao Zedong of the 21th century. This effectively means that he will stay in power for much longer than the usual 10 years.

That's Willy Lam, adjunct professor at Chinese University in Hong Kong.

That's the latest world news from VOA.