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

Leaders of majority Muslim nations gathered in Istanbul Wednesday and condemned President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. They called it unlawful. The meeting came as unrest in the Middle East continues along with growing criticism over the decision.

The gathering was under the auspices of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference. Turkey currently leads the conference and the emergency summit was called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

He said the president's decision meant the U.S. had forfeited its role as the broker in efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had some of the ???strongest criticism. He told leaders that Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem was a crime. He said the Palestinians would not accept a U.S. role in the peace process from now on. He accused the United States of being "biased in favor of Israel."

At least 30 people were killed in airstrikes Wednesday on a police camp in Yemen's capital.

At least 80 others were wounded when pre-dawn raids hit a prison that's run by rebels in the military police compound in Sana'a.

The strikes were carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against the rebels, a campaign that has not let up since it began in March 2015.

Eleven members of a militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of dozens of children and for murder.

Human rights groups have hailed the verdict as a landmark decision in a country where sexual violence is frequent and perpetrators most often go unpunished.

This is VOA news.

The International Commission of Jurists, or ICJ, is calling for Zimbabwe's new government to ensure free and fair elections next year.

As correspondent Sebastian Mhofu reports for VOA from the capital Harare, it's not the only rights group making that appeal.

Following a week-long visit to Zimbabwe, the International Commission of Jurists led by its Secretary-General Saman Zia-Zarifi said soldiers who helped President Emmerson Mnangagwa come to power last month must return to their barracks.

The army has been policing Harare and other cities and has set up checkpoints along major roads.

In an interview Wednesday with VOA, ICJ Director in Africa Arnold Tsunga said civic and opposition groups are worried the situation will compromise Zimbabwe's next elections, which are expected around the middle of next year.

On Tuesday, Zimbabwean opposition and civic leaders were in Washington and appealed to Congress for help in ensuring the 2018 elections are free and fair.

Sebastian Mhofu, for VOA news, Harare.

The United States has warned Pakistan it could lose control of its country unless it abandons ties with terrorist groups operating that are growing in "size and influence" within Pakistan.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued the warning as the United States and Pakistan engage in renewed diplomatic efforts to improve their mistrust-marred bilateral relations and find "common ground" to promote peace in neighboring Afghanistan.

Two reporters for the Reuters news agency have been arrested in Myanmar on [*suspecion] suspicion, that is, of possessing "secret police documents" pertaining to the refugee crisis in Rakhine state.

A government spokesman said police officers involved in the case were also arrested and says the government "will take action against those policemen and the reporters."

And Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, received a strong vote of confidence Wednesday from the Justice Department official who appointed him and oversees his work.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May after President Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey.

There is 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 Jonathan Jones reporting from the world headquarters of the Voice of America in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.