From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Liz Parker reporting.

Trump claims vindication.

United States President Donald Trump saying Saturday a disputed memo "totally vindicates" him.

The congressional memo released Friday alleges FBI surveillance abuse to raise questions about the origins of the investigation into his campaign's possible Russia ties. The four-page document released on Friday contends that the FBI, when it applied for a surveillance warrant on a onetime Trump campaign associate, relied excessively on an ex-British spy and that (the) ex-British spy's research was funded by the opposing campaign.

Democrats say releasing the memo is misleading and undermines the ongoing Russia probe.

A suicide blast in a former militant stronghold in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least 11 army officials and injured 13 others.

The attack took place Saturday night in Swat Valley where army officers were conducting sporting activities, according to an official statement. Sources told VOA army officials were playing volleyball when the bomb went off.

A spokesman for the outlawed Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

Russia's army and Defense Ministry confirmed the death of a pilot after his warplane went down over Syria Saturday. The Russian pilot [he] who ejected from his fighter jet with a parachute was killed by militants after he landed alive. That's according to Syrian monitors and a Syrian militant group.

A video circulating on social media shows people looking at flames on the edge of this northwestern Syrian village of Maasaran.

And just in, a jihadist group linked to the former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria has claimed responsibility for this death.

This is VOA news.

[North Korean violated] North Korea violated United Nations sanctions, earning millions of dollars in 2017 from banned commodity exports.

Reuters David Doyle reports.

North Korea earned nearly $200 million last year by exporting banned commodities in violation of international sanctions. That's according to a confidential U.N. report as seen by Reuters on Friday.

It said North Korea had shipped coal to ports, including Russia, China and Malaysia, mainly by using false documents. Those documents listing countries like Russia and China as the origin of the coal, instead of North Korea.

That was David Doyle reporting.

Pyongyang has been subject to sanctions in a bid to choke funding for its ballistic and missiles program.

The report added there was also evidence that North Korea had supplied weapons to Syria and Myanmar.

The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights criticizes the continued suspension of three independent television stations in Kenya.

A spokesman says the office is concerned by the government's refusal to heed the Kenyan High Court's instruction to allow the TV stations to remain on air.

Earlier this week, the stations were shut down to prevent live coverage of a controversial ceremony held by Raila Odinga. Odinga is Kenya's main opposition leader.

Here is spokesman Rupert Colville on the violent rioting that was predicted ahead of Odinga's ceremony. "What is true and I think very good was that the ceremony, which was held by Raila Odinga's party, passed off peacefully. And, thousands of people attended it despite the government's warnings that they shouldn't."

Colville says the continued suspension of the TV stations needs to end.

A prominent Swiss Islamic academic scholar is charged with rape in France. The charges came down for Tariq Ramadan on Friday.

A French judge ordering Ramadan to remain in custody after two women claimed last year he sexually assaulted them in hotel rooms in 2009 and 2012. That's according to judicial sources.

The Swiss-born theologian, who denies the charges, took a leave of absence from teaching at Oxford University in early November. This was following two complaints of rape and reports of similar charges in Switzerland.

Israeli army fighter jets hit a Hamas compound in the Gaza Strip early Saturday. The army said on Twitter, it struck a compound with two military structures in response to the rocket fired [at a southern] at southern Israel.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities on either side.

The Islamic militant group, Hamas, rules the Gaza Strip.

And board members with the League of United Latin American Citizens are meeting Saturday after its president endorsed President Trump's immigration plan.

This is VOA news.

That's the latest world news from VOA.