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Hi, I'm VOA's Alexis Strope with your worldwide news update.
Protesters gathered in two locations in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure a deal to release the hostages taken by Hamas militants on October 7. They said that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces on Wednesday night could mean a turning point in returning the hostages. "This should be used as a means to seal the deal, to end the hostage situation and bring them all home now." Anti-government protesters also gathered in another location in Tel Aviv to demand a cease-fire deal and the immediate release of hostages. Promises by Israel and its enemies Hamas and Hezbollah to keep fighting have chilled hopes that the death of Sinwar might lead to truces in Gaza and Lebanon. Palestinian health officials said Israeli military strikes killed dozens across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. Medics said several of them were in a school housing displaced families. Reuters correspondent Lauren Anthony reports. In the central Gaza Strip camp of Al-Maghazi, fatalities were reported after a separate Israeli strike on a house. Gazan health officials said Israel's military strikes killed dozens across the enclave on Saturday and that Israeli forces were tightening a siege around hospitals in Jabalia in the north. The Israeli military said its forces were continuing operations against Hamas across the Gaza Strip, adding they had killed several gunmen in Rafah and Jabalia and were dismantling military infrastructure. Residents and medical officials in Gaza said Israeli forces were bombing houses and besieging hospitals, preventing medical and food supplies from entering to force them to leave Jabalia camp. Israeli officials said they had issued evacuation orders aimed at separating Hamas fighters from civilians and denied that there was any systematic plan to clear civilians out of Jabalia or other northern areas. Reuters correspondent Lauren Anthony. This is VOA News. Italian responders conducted rescues after flooding and landslides in Sicily. AP correspondent Charles De Ledesma reports. Heavy rain lashed the Italian island of Sicily on Saturday, causing flooding and landslides. The Licata River near Abrigento flooded after the Salso River burst its banks. Firefighters use a helicopter to rescue residents who climbed onto their roofs to escape the rising flood waters. In Enna, a cliff collapsed, sending large boulders tumbling onto the main road leading to the city. Schools, public gardens and cemeteries were closed in various towns an villages across the island. I'm Charles De Ledesma. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plan to end Ukraine's nearly three-year war with Russia is getting mixed reactions from Western allies. The victory plan that Zelenskyy outlined includes a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western long-range missiles to strike military targets in Russia. U.S. backing is crucial if Zelenskyy is to get other key allies' support for proposals he believes are necessary to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield and ahead of any peace negotiations. But analysts say the Biden administration is unlikely to make a decision before the U.S. presidential election. Cuba's government said on Saturday it had made some progress in gradually re-establishing electrical service across the island, including to hospitals and parts of the capital Havana. Reuters correspondent Angela Johnston reports. Most of the island's 10 million people still don't have it. The country's top electricity official said the grid operator was trying to boost capacity in the system to get several plants going and bring power back to broader parts of the country. He did not directly confirm the second grid collapse, creating some confusion about what actually happened. The government blames deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages and rising demand. Cuba does not produce much of its own crude oil, and this year Venezuela, Russia and Mexico all reduced exports to the country. Cuba also says the U.S. trade embargo and sanctions under former President Donald Trump make it harder to get fuel and parts to run its oil-fired plants. The U.S. has denied a role in the collapse. Reuters correspondent Angela Johnston. Striking workers at Boeing will vote next week on a new offer that could end a walkout that has lasted more than a month. Boeing and the union representing striking machinists said Saturday they have negotiated a new proposal that would raise pay 35 percent over four years and includes upfront bonuses of $7,000 per worker. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers says it plans to hold a ratification vote on Wednesday. The strike has crippled most airplane production at Boeing, leading the company's new CEO to announce layoffs and a plan to raise much-needed money by selling new stock or debt. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates, visit our website. I'm Alexis Strope, VOE News. |