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

President Trump has fired another member of his cabinet. He ousted the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin. He will be replaced by Admiral Ronny Jackson.

[Trump's current presidential position] Jackson was appointed to the position in 2013 by then President Barack Obama and was retained by Trump.

Trump administration officials are denying that pardons have been put on the table for former advisers to the president and steered the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Details now from VOA White House bureau chief Steve Herman.

Reporters on Wednesday questioned White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders after The New York Times reported that a lawyer for President Trump may have offered pardons to influence the decisions of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort about whether to plead guilty and cooperate with the special counsel.

Huckabee Sanders replied that the White House lawyer Ty Cobb has stated it is only the press raising the question of pardons.

"He's got a statement on the record saying that there's no discussion and there's no consideration of those at this time at the White House."

The press secretary added she has had no conversations with Trump about pardons.

Flynn has admitted lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia. He is cooperating with prosecutors.

Manafort facing charges including fraud and money laundering maintains his innocence.

Steve Herman, VOA news, at the White House.

The lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels is asking a federal court to require President Trump to give a sworn deposition about the alleged 2006 one-night affair that Ms. Daniels claims to have had with the future leader.

This is VOA news.

The search for bodies has ended after a shopping mall fire that killed 64 people in a town in Siberia, most of them children. But some people who live in the town refused to believe the official death toll.

Reuters correspondent Rosanna Philpott reports.

Grief is turning to anger over why the fire happened, with thousands demonstrating on Tuesday.

President Vladimir Putin flew to come over to meet with those affected, vowing action and harsh punishment for those responsible.

Investigators say fire exits have been blocked and fire alarms weren't working. They suspect a coverup and a hundred were killed in the blaze, something Putin has flatly denied.

This sentiment reflected in the vigils, with one placard reading "How many victims are there really?"

President Trump says there is "a good chance" North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un will do "what is right for his people and for humanity" by moving to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

On Twitter early Wednesday, Trump said he looks forward to his planned meeting with Kim but emphasized the need to keep up "maximum sanctions and pressure" in the meantime.

A Kenyan opposition leader remains detained at Nairobi airport, barred from entering the country despite a judge's order that authorities allow him to appear before the High Court Wednesday.

Correspondent Rael Ombuor has more for VOA from Nairobi.

Miguna's lawyer, Nelson Havi, said Miguna's detention at Nairobi airport is illegal and a violation of his rights.

Miguna was first arrested in January. His arrest was linked to his involvement with the so-called swearing-in of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga as "the people's president."

Authorities deported Miguna to Canada, where he is a citizen.

He tried to return to Kenya on Monday. His lawyer and the government disagree what happened next.

Officials say Miguna refused to enter Kenya on a Canadian passport and refused to take up an offer of a six-month visa, insisting he was not a foreigner.

Havi told VOA he is asking the courts to order Miguna's immediate release and readmit him to the country.

The attorney said the government is acting in contempt of court orders and setting a dangerous precedent.

Rael Ombuor, VOA news, Nairobi.

Facebook is revamping its privacy controls to make them easier to find as it faces intense backlash after a British company with ties to President Trump improperly harvested data from 50 million unsuspecting Facebook users.

The social media giant is also facing criticism for gathering contact names, telephone numbers and call and text histories from users of Android devices.

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.