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I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with your worldwide news update.
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden's administration has concluded Israel is not currently impeding assistance to Gaza and therefore is not violating U.S. law even as Washington acknowledged the humanitarian situation remained dire in the Palestinian enclave. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in October 13 letter gave their Israeli counterparts a list of specific steps that Israel needed to do within 30 days to address the worsening situation in Gaza. They said in the letter that failure to do so may have possible consequences on U.S. military aid to Israel. The deadline mentioned in the letter expired on Tuesday, and State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Israel had taken steps to address the demands and Washington would continue to assess the situation. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned on Tuesday that "famine is imminent" in northern Gaza and may be already happening. Reuters correspondent Freddie Joyner reports. Louise Wateridge is the senior communications officer for the United Nations Relief Works Agency, or UNRWA. "Aid supplies have worsened. They have lessened. The month of October, it was an average of 37 trucks a day into the Gaza Strip - 37 trucks a day for a population of 2.2 million people who need absolutely everything. It's not enough." She says aid trucks into the strip had fallen in October and that no food was allowed to enter northern Gaza for an entire month. Israeli forces have been pushing deeper into north Gaza for more than a month, surrounding hospitals and shelters and creating fresh waves of displacement. They say the operation is designed to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping there. Reuters correspondent Freddie Joyner. This is VOA News. People in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Tuesday paid tribute to victims after a ramming attack at a sports center that killed and injured dozens of people. Reuters correspondent ??? reports. The incident happened Monday night when a driver rammed his car into a crowd at a sports center. Dozens of people were knocked to the ground. A video posted on social media showed chaotic scenes on the road after the incident. At least 35 people died and 42 people were severely injured. Local police said the suspect is a 62-year-old man. Authorities say he attempted to flee but was apprehended by police at the scene. Police say the suspect had harmed himself using a knife, causing severe neck injuries. He was being treated at a hospital. Police said a preliminary investigation suggested the incident was triggered by the suspect's discontent following a divorce. The attack sparked an outcry on Chinese social media. But angry comments about the official delay in reporting the incident were removed and the Weibo messaging site censored the hashtag that mentioned the death toll. Reuters correspondent ???. Donald Trump has spent his first week as U.S. president-elect largely out of public view. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. It's conspicuous for a man who loves the spotlight. Trump has stayed at his Florida club, working with advisers and others behind closed doors to build his administration. It's a cutthroat process, which one former White House official still close to Trump compares to "Game of Thrones." The president-elect's expected back in public Wednesday here at the White House to talk with President Biden and on Capitol Hill for a chat with House Republicans. "That would be a great meeting and a moment for all of us. There's a lot of excitement, a lot of energy here." House Speaker Mike Johnson says the GOP is ready to hit the ground running and deliver on what he calls "America's mandate." Sagar Meghani, at the White House. U.S. Federal Aviation officials are suspending American flights to Haiti. AP correspondent Haya Panjwani reports. The Federal Aviation Administration is stopping U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti after gangs shot at a Spirit Airlines flight. The rule is in place for 30 days. Bullets hit the plane as it was about to land in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. Gunshots injured one flight attendant. It's part of a wave of violence in Haiti after the country swore in its new prime minister. I'm Haya Panjwani. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates, visit our website, voanews.com. I'm Joe Ramsey, VOA News. |