British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a security and defense agreement with Nigeria Wednesday.
May is on a three-country trip to Africa with a large group of representatives of British businesses as Britain works to strengthen economic ties to Africa and other countries in regions before it leaves the European Union in March.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights says he is worried about growing unrest and violence in Uganda. The turmoil has been caused by the recent arrest of pop-star-turned- politician Bobi Wine and 32 opposition politicians.
Correspondent Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from the high commissioner's headquarters in Geneva.
High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein says his office has received accounts of killings, ill treatment and arrests of persons by law enforcement agents.
"I urge the government of Uganda to conduct a thorough independent and impartial investigation into the serious human rights allegations of extra-judicial killings, excessive use of force, torture and other forms of ill-treatment and to bring to justice those responsible."
The government has not responded to the high commissioner's remarks but has denied all allegations of torture, calling them "rubbish."
Lisa Schlein, for VOA news, Geneva.
The United Nations human rights office is also urging the international community to intervene in Nicaragua to prevent it from falling further into political and social chaos.
The office released a report Wednesday telling about numerous violations that have been carried out by the government since April 18, when protests broke out over President Daniel Ortega's plan to cut social security benefits. The report said the government crackdown against demonstrators has got on unchecked.
This is VOA news.
Thousands of protesters from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, an extremist religious-turned-political party, began a march from the eastern city of Lahore toward the capital city of Islamabad on Wednesday. They are demanding that the newly elected government cut diplomatic ties with the Netherlands and promptly expel its ambassador.
The protest is in reaction to the announcement of a cartoon contest on Islam's Prophet Muhammad by a Dutch lawmaker.
Iraqi health officials say water pollution and a shortage of clean drinking water has worsened a health crisis in recent days. Hospitals in the southern port city of Basra are treating many cases of intestinal infections on a daily basis.
Correspondent Edward Yeranian reports for VOA from Cairo.
The director general of the Basra Health department, Dr. Riad Abdul Amir, told Al Hurra TV the problem stems from insufficient fresh water supplies coming into the city via canals and water pipes from the north.
"Salty water which has infiltrated the water network," he asserts, "is known to reduce the efficacy of chlorine used to treat and kill bacteria in drinking water."
Edward Yeranian, for VOA news, Cairo.
The owner of a company that makes 3D-printed guns is now selling the blueprints online.
A federal court order bars Cody Wilson from posting the plans online for free, but he says he is selling the plans online and has already received a lot of orders. "Many hundreds, probably in the thousands at this point."
Why is he doing this?
"I think it's a matter of principle. I know it's absurd to some degree to fight for your principles in a culture like this, but I think it's a worthy demonstration."
Washington state's attorney general, whose office oversaw the federal lawsuit, says he thinks what Wilson is doing is illegal.
Wilson was on "CBS This Morning."
I'm Rita Foley.
Negotiators from Canada and the United States are said to be engaged in [trade deals] trade talks in Washington. They are trying to create a replacement for NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The talks come after the United States and Mexico agreed to a trade deal this week while leaving the door open for Canada to join and preserve what has been a trilateral trade relationship lasting more than 20 years.
It's unclear if the U.S. and Canada will be able to resolve their longstanding disputes over tariffs on automobiles and dairy products that have persisted through months of NAFTA negotiations.
You can find more on these and other late breaking and developing stories, from around the world, around the clock, at voanews.com and on the VOA news mobile app. I'm Christopher Cruise, VOA news.
