The death toll in an attack on American and coalition troops in the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Wednesday is rising, with the bombing raising questions about what happens once American forces pull out for good.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the bombing which was claimed by the Islamic State terror group has left 20 people dead, including five American troops.
Associated Press Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports from the White House.
The military says the troops were on a routine patrol in Manbij when a bomb went off nearby.
The attack comes weeks after President Trump caught aides and allies off guard by announcing the U.S. will pull out of Syria.
Islamic State militants are claiming responsibility for the attack while that could not be independently verified. It calls into question the president's claim that the militants have been defeated in Syria.
Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday repeated the claim that the Islamic State "has crumbled" and the militant network "has been defeated." He spoke Wednesday at the State Department.
"We'll stay in the region and we'll stay in the fight to ensure that ISIS does not rear its ugly head again. We will protect the gains that our soldiers and our coalition partners have secured."
Pence defended President Trump's decision to withdraw the 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria.
Critics say the pullout is premature.
Kenya's president has vowed to track down terrorists who staged a deadly assault Tuesday on a hotel-and-office complex in an upscale suburb of the capital city.
Uhuru Kenyatta said all attackers have been "eliminated" and he warned that his government is launching an aggressive manhunt for all those involved. Police say at least 21 people were killed at Nairobi's Dusit D2 complex, where surveillance video showed at least four gunmen walking through the parking lot.
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Federal prosecutors are investigating Huawei Technologies, the world's largest telecommunications equipment, for allegedly stealing trade secrets from American businesses. The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported the prosecutors could soon issue an indictment.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the journal said that one area of investigation is the technology behind a device that T-Mobile used to test smartphones.
Security forces in Zimbabwe arrested a pastor and political activist at his home in the capital Harare Wednesday as the nationwide anti-government strike entered its third and final day.
Correspondent Columbus Mavhunga reports for VOA from the capital city.
On Wednesday, armed police surrounded the home of pastor Evan Mawarire before arresting him for helping organize a three-day-stay-at-home strike to protest Zimbabwe's 150 percent fuel hike.
On Wednesday, more than 200 protesters were brought to court and more are expected Thursday to face charges for violence.
Twenty-six days into a government shutdown, Senate Democrats staged a Capitol protest.
Democratic senators came down the Capitol steps carrying poster-sized pictures of furloughed federal workers and their families to illustrate the human cost of the government shutdown.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: "I want President Trump to look into these faces and see what he is doing by using these men and women as pawns."
The president says he is ready to keep the government shutdown for a long time to get money for his proposed border wall.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is recommending that he postpone his state of the union message, given that the security apparatus is gone almost four weeks without funding.
Pelosi cited security preparations needed for the annual high-profile event before Congress for suggesting that President Trump delay the speech or present it in writing.
In a letter to the president, she noted that the U.S. Secret Service, which guards Trump and his family, and the Homeland Security agency have not been funded during the 26-day shutdown.
Trump's security detail has been working without pay.
YouTube is trying to prevent otherwise smart people from doing damn things. The video sharing network owned by Google is cracking down on harmful or dangerous pranks.
Updated policies no longer allow challenges that present an apparent risk of death and they ban content featuring children "participating in dangerous challenges that pose an imminent risk of injury or bodily harm."
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.
