From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Doug Bernard reporting.

Kenyans voted Thursday in the country's second presidential election although turnout appears lower than it was for the August 8 poll. And violent protests have erupted in some opposition strongholds.

Security issues have forced voting in several areas to be delayed until Saturday.

The Supreme Court has ordered a re-run of the first poll, setting regularities it planned on the country's electoral commission.

From Nairobi, VOA's Jill Craig has the details.

Jacob Maina cast his vote in Dagoretti, an area of Nairobi that is considered a ruling party stronghold. "The people didn't show up like last time."

A poll worker in Nairobi's Mathare slum said that out of 656 registered voters at that location, only about 50 people came to vote between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Thursday. She said that during the August election, more than 200 voters cast ballots during the same period.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga instructed his supporters to boycott this election after his demands to delay the vote and replace members of the electoral commission were turned down.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, the winner of the first election which the Supreme Court nullified, said Thursday that "90 percent of the country is calm, is peaceful, and is voting."

Jill Craig, VOA news, Nairobi.

U.S. defense officials are briefing the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday about the Islamic State ambush attack in Niger earlier this month that killed four American soldiers.

Defense Department officials are in the midst of an investigation into the attack that occurred near the Niger-Mali border and took the lives of four servicemen.

President Trump said Wednesday he did not specifically authorize the mission.

This is VOA news.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has ruled out the possibility of holding a regional snap election and has asked parliament to decide how to move forward as the secession crisis from Spain continues.

During an announcement which was delayed, canceled and then rescheduled on Thursday, Puigdemont said that there were not enough guarantees from Madrid that a snap election would stop the imposition of direct rule in Catalonia.

Even in the Catalonia parliament, feelings are hardly single-minded. Fernando Sanchez Costa is a Catalonia parliament member who wishes to stay within Spain. "I hope that ... because it would be a very very, a very important mistake, a historical mistake if he proclaims independence. We can lose everything. Everything. Just because some people want to enter history and they want to be remembered in the books of history."

On the other hand, Teresa Barbat, another Catalonia parliament member, is for independence.

"Right now would be zero to say, "Let's stop it. Let's stop it because we don't want people to hard and just let..." We'll see in some ... But I think that people wouldn't accept that, never, never. We are now where people have decided to be."

Earlier today, Puigdemont said the Spanish government will worsen the crisis over the re-push for independence if lawmakers go ahead with a threat to revoke its autonomy.

U.S. United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley Wednesday said she told South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in Juba that the U.S. has lost trust in his government for continuing the country's civil war and that that trust needs to be regained.

"I didn't come here to talk. I came here to basically say the time for action is now. We are not waiting anymore. We need to see a change, and we need to see it right away."

Haley said she told Mr. Kiir the U.S. is "at a crossroads" and that every decision going forward would be based on his actions.

In Turkey, eight rights activists were freed from jail in Istanbul by a court on Thursday. Among them, German national Peter Steudtner. "If you're really happy about what happened, to speak of me, I'm really grateful and I can say we are really grateful for everybody who supported us legally, diplomatically and with solidarity."

They are part of 11 who still await a verdict on terrorism charges and face up to 15 years in prison in a case that has drawn international condemnation as Turkey cracks down on those in a suspected coup.

I'm Doug Bernard.

That's the latest world news from VOA.