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I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with your worldwide news update.
U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia. The move eases limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war. Word of the decision comes from a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. Thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to Ukraine's northern border to help Russia reclaim hundreds of kilometers of territory seized by Ukrainian forces. Russia launched a massive airstrike campaign against neighboring Ukraine on Sunday. Local officials say several people died and the power system suffered, quote unquote, "severe damage." VOA's Arash Arabasadi has more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 120 missiles and 90 drones including Iranian-made Shaheds. Kyiv's air force says the military destroyed 104 missiles and 42 of the drones. Russia says it was targeting energy facilities that power Ukraine's military-industrial complex. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring a speedy end to the conflict between the two nations. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reiterated Europe's support for Ukraine no matter what happens in Washington. But for now, Ukrainian first responders have their hands full removing missile debris from blown-out buildings. Ukrainian officials say at least seven people died in the attacks which they say caused severe damage to the power system. The strikes prompted emergency power cuts through several regions. Russia's war in Ukraine will reach the 1,000-day mark this week. Arash Arabasadi, VOA News. This is VOA News. President Biden has made a historic visit to the Amazon rainforest. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. President Biden saw the devastation of drought firsthand as the first American president to set foot in the Amazon rainforest. Touring the area Sunday and pledging that nobody can reverse what he says is the "clean energy revolution" underway in America even as the incoming Trump administration is poised to scale back the U.S. commitment to combating climate change. "We don't have to choose between the environment and the economy. You can do both. We've proven it back home. It's no secret that I'm leaving office in January. I will have my su..., I will leave my successor and my country in a strong foundation to build on if they choose to do so." Biden announcing new efforts to help the Amazon rainforest including financing reforestation and land protection. I'm Julie Walker. Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff's jubilee year. AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports. The book, Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World, is based on interviews with the pontiff. In it, he says, "According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide." One of those experts, U.N. special rapporteur of occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, said on a march of this year she had reported to the U.N. general council, "... where I concluded that based on my findings over five months of investigation, there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israel had committed acts of genocide in, in Gaza." Albanese's report comes after South Africa brought a case to the U.N.'s top court in December, 2023, in which it claimed Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Spain, Chile and eight other countries have petitioned the court to join the case. I'm Karen Chammas. Authorities in Gabon said on Sunday voters have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution more than a year after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country's long-time president and seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation. Gabon's interior minister said in a statement read on state television that over 91 percent of voters approved the new constitution in a referendum held on Saturday. The draft constitution, which proposes sweeping changes that could prevent dynastic rule and transfer of power, needed more than 50 percent of the votes cast to be adopted. That wraps up this update, but the world and news never stop. For additional updates visit our website. I'm Joe Ramsey, VOA News. |