From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Jonathan Jones reporting.

The Trump administration is joining harsh international condemnation of Russia for a nerve agent attack in Britain blamed on Moscow, while for the first time imposing fresh sanctions directly blaming Russia for election interference.

VOA's Capitol Hill correspondent Michael Bowman reports.

The sanctions penalize Russian hackers, cyber "trolls" and spy agencies by freezing assets and prohibiting Americans from doing business with them.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Bob Corker, said the administration has acted methodically in punishing Moscow, adding that more sanctions are on the way.

"Leave me some sanctions coming out against oligarchs. I'm confident that is going to occur."

In a statement, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said targeted sanctions are part of a broader effort to address "the ongoing nefarious attacks emanating from Russia."

Michael Bowman, VOA news, the Capitol.

The special counsel Robert Mueller, widening his investigation of Russian interference in the presidential election, has now subpoenaed documents at the Trump Organization, President Trump's global business empire.

It's not immediately clear the extent of the records that Mueller was seeking, but The New York Times reported that the subpoena, which was delivered in recent weeks, ordered the New York-based Trump Organization to turn over all documents related to the company's dealings with Russia.



A days-old pedestrian bridge across a busy highway in Miami, Florida, collapsed Thursday, crushing a number of cars and killing some people. Police say there is a full search and rescue operation under way. Several cranes and police dogs are part of the rescue effort.

This is VOA news.

A U.S. military aircraft carrying U.S. service members crashed in western Iraq, according to the U.S. Central Command.

"Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft," the statement said.

The aircraft was thought to be an HH-60 helicopter, which crashed near al-Qaim, a town in Anbar province close to the Syrian border.

The helicopter was carrying seven people and the official told the Reuters news agency that fatalities were "likely."

The issue of domestic violence has come to the fore in Uganda after a member of parliament argued in favor of wife beating.

For VOA, correspondent Halima Athumani reports from Kampala.

In the words of the Ugandan legislator, a man who disciplines his wife can touch, tackle and beat her to streamline her.

Onesmus Twinamatsiko, a member of national parliament, made the comments to a national TV outlet on March 8. Outraged, the public demanded an apology. This is what they got on the floor of parliament Wednesday.

"Kindly accept my sincere and unreserved apologies honorable members, and the general public and more particularly the women. This apology is unconditional. The beating I meant wasn't the normal beating, but another type."

In other media interviews this week, Twinamatsiko reportedly said certain forms of abuse, like slapping, are OK.

Halima Athumani, for VOA news, Kampala.

The United States is demanding that the world hold Syria's government, Russia and Iran responsible for what a top official calls "some of the worst atrocities known to man."

The statement was made by the U.S. national security adviser General H.R. McMaster. It came Thursday during an event at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington marking the seventh anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict.

McMaster referred to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "The regime has killed indiscriminately, tortured, starved, raped and used chemical weapons on its own people. It has attacked hospitals and schools, and countless Syrians have been arrested, abducted or simply disappeared."

McMaster, one of the most senior advisers to President Trump, also accused Russia and Iran of enabling Assad, and said they, too, must be held accountable.

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. From the world headquarters of the Voice of America in Washington, I'm Jonathan Jones, VOA news.

That's the latest world news from VOA.