|
I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with your worldwide news update.
Israeli lawmakers passed two laws on Monday that could threaten the work of the main United Nations agency providing aid to people in Gaza. AP correspondent Norman Hall reports. Under the first law, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNWAR, would be banned from conducting any activity of providing any service inside Israel while the second would sever diplomatic ties with it. Israel has alleged that some of UNWAR's thousands of staff members participated in the Hamas attacks last year that sparked the war in Gaza. The agency fired nine employees after an investigation but denies it knowingly aids armed groups. I'm Norman Hall. Successive crises in a collapsed government have left Lebanon's volunteer sector, racing to meet the demands of the hundreds of thousands of people afflicted by war. For VOA, Jacob Russell reports from Beirut. Since mid-September, Israel has expanded its war against Hezbollah into a widespread bombing campaign and ground invasion, displacing what U.N. officials say is an estimated 800,000 people. With each successive crisis that has beset Lebanon recently, the state has offered less and less assistance. Today, few have any expectations left. Mona al-Khalil, herself forced from her home in Beirut by Israeli bombs, now commutes back into the city to volunteer. "Our generation has realized that if we don't get things done, they're not gonna get done by anyone, especially our government." After the Beirut port explosion of 2020, activists implored international donors to bypass the Lebanese government when delivering aid, fearing that embezzlement and favoritism would prevent the help from going where it was needed. Jacob Russell, VOA News, Beirut. This is VOA News. The U.S. says North Korea has sent more troops to Russia for training and fighting in Ukraine. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. Just three days ago, the Biden administration said it was possible more than 3,000 North Koreans were there. Now, "We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks." Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh says the U.S. is now more worried Russia intends to either use those soldiers in combat or to support combat operations in the Kursk region. New NATO chief Mark Rutte said earlier some had already deployed there. "... a dangerous expansion of Russia's war." President Biden echoed that. "It's very dangerous, very dangerous." The U.S. warns the North Koreans are "fair game" if they enter the fight. Sagar Meghani, Washington. A new poll finds that American voters are approaching the presidential election with deep unease about what could follow. They are worried about the potential for political violence, attempts to overturn the results, and the implications for democracy. The survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research comes nearly four years after former U.S. President Donald Trump's refusal to accept the 2020 results inspired a mob of his supporters to violently storm the capital. About 4 in 10 registered voters say they are extremely or very worried about violent attempts to overturn the election results. Thousands gathered outside Georgia's parliament on Monday after the country's president and opposition parties called for protests against the results of an election they say was rigged. Reuters correspondent Olivia Zollino has more. Georgia's government and electoral commission say Saturday's vote was free and fair and that the ruling Georgian Dream Party won with nearly 54 percent of the vote. Opposition parties dispute that and election observers have said there were significant violations. The results are a blow for pro-Western Georgians. The vote was seen as a choice between a ruling party that has deepened ties with Russia and an opposition aiming to fast-track integration with Europe. President Salome Zourabichvili, who disputes the results alongside opposition parties, says the ruling party's vote share fell far short of the official tallies. She accused the ruling party of using Russian-style tactics and propaganda. Russia has denied any interference in the vote, saying it was the West that was trying to destabilize the situation. Reuters correspondent Olivia Zollino. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates, visit our website. I'm Joe Ramsey, VOA News. |