|
This is VOA News. I'm Alexis Strope.
President Joe Biden says that the U.S. will begin air dropping humanitarian assistance in Gaza. "In the coming days we're gonna to join with our friends in Jordan and others who are providing airdrops of additional food and supplies." The president announced the long-considered move on Friday after at least 115 Palestinians were killed and more than 750 others were injured, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry on Thursday, when witnesses said nearby Israeli troops opened fire as huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in the stampede linked to the chaos and that its troops fired at some in the crowd who they believed moved toward them in a threatening way. Biden made the announcement while hosting Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni at the White House. Russians who currently live in Tbilisi honored the memory of Alexei Navalny, who was buried Friday, by visiting a memorial in the Georgian capital. VOA's Rick Pantaleo tells us more. Russians now living in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi revered the memory of Alexei Navalny, who was buried Friday, by visiting a memorial organized near a building that used to hold the Russian embassy. This is on Anastasia, a resident of Tbilisi. "Emotions are heavy, of course. It is a grief. We buried Alexei. I hope he finds peace. I want to believe and hope that the work of Alexei will be continued not so much by his associates and his wife, but by the people who believe that Russia will be free and happy." Navalny died in an Arctic prison on February 16, sparking accusations from his supporters that he had been murdered. The Kremlin has denied any state involvement in his death. Rick Pantaleo, VOA News. For pictures, video, stories and more, follow the Voice of America on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. And for additional stories 24 hours a day, visit our website voanews.com. This is VOA News. A fire at a shopping mall in Bangladesh's capital kills at least 43 people. Karen Chammas from AP reports. Outside the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall in downtown Dhaka large crowds gathered, yells of panic and shock echoed out as they watched emergency workers rescue those still stuck inside the building as the fire raged on. The fire started late Thursday at a restaurant on the first floor of the mall. Survivor Mohammad Sayem, who was stuck inside the mall, told the AP "I knew about the fire when it was at the first floor. We moved to the roof of the building. Around 30 people were there. After the fire was under control, fire service personnel broke into one side of the roof and rescued us." Firefighters rescued survivors and pulled out bodies, and by the next day, dozens had died with over a dozen more in a critical condition. In the morning, among the charred remains of the building, forensic experts began looking for evidence in the investigation of the fire. I'm Karen Chammas. The United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk on Friday said that the apparent deliberate denial of safe access for humanitarian agencies within war-torn Sudan could amount to a war crime. "I call again on the warring parties to meet their legal obligations by opening humanitarian corridors without delay before more lives are lost." Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been fighting Sudan's army for control of the country since April, 2023. Millions of people in Sudan's Darfur region are at risk of dying of hunger after a decision by the Sudanese government to prohibit aid deliveries through Chad and [ave...] advocacy group for internally displaced people said on Tuesday. A New York man has been sentenced to 25 years to life for killing a woman who wound up in his driveway after a wrong turn. AP correspondent Shelley Adler reports. Kevin Monahan was convicted in January of killing Kaylin Gillis last April. The 20-year-old woman was riding in a caravan of two cars and a motorcycle that pulled into Monahan's long, winding driveway by mistake in Washington County in northeastern New York while her friends were looking for another person's house. Prosecutors argued that Monahan was motivated by irrational rage toward trespassers. He said the gun went off by accident, and he thought his home was under siege by intruders. I'm Shelley Adler. Boeing is in talks to buy Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for Boeing 737 Max [*jetter] jetliners. The company confirmed media reports Friday about the discussions. Boeing used to own Spirit, and the company says bringing the manufacturer back into the Boeing fold would improve plane quality and safety. Boeing spun off Spirit AeroSystems nearly 20 years ago as it moved to an outsourcing model. That model has come under question because of quality issues at Spirit, which is based in Wichita, Kansas. Spirit made the door panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner in January. For additional stories, visit voanews.com. I'm Alexis Strope. |