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I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with your worldwide news update.
Ukraine fired a volley of British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia on Wednesday, the latest new Western weapon it has been permitted to use on Russian targets a day after it fired longer-range U.S. missiles. The strikes were widely reported by Russian war correspondents on Telegram. Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory far from the border would be a major escalation in the conflict. Many Ukrainians welcomed the U.S. decision to let Ukraine strike deep into Russian territory. Anna Chernikova reports for VOA from Kyiv. Ukraine has yet to confirm that long-range missiles it received from the U.S. struck targets in Russia as the Kremlin claims. But on the streets of Kyiv, residents reacted to the news that the Biden administration had lifted restrictions against the use of Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, in the war against Russia. "This will allow us to conduct deep strikes and destroy their infrastructure, airfields, manpower and military equipment so that they will use it less against us." "Our opinion is why that late. If it weren't so late, we probably wouldn't be in the situation we are in now. There wouldn't be damaged energy infrastructure, there wouldn't be massive power outages. If this had been done earlier, the front line wouldn't be where it is now. The sense of urgency is growing as Russia escalates its assault with the help of North Korean troops and strikes on Ukraine's energy grid. But as Ukraine braces for a long winter, there is also uncertainty about the future and the prospect of diminished U.S. support after the January transfer of power in Washington. Anna Chernikova, VOA News, Kyiv. This is VOA News. The United States has vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the war in Gaza because it was not linked to an immediate release of hostages taken captive by Hamas last year. U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood: "The United States worked for weeks in good faith to avoid this outcome. We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-fire that failed to release the hostages." The council voted 14 to 1 in favor of the doomed resolution. The Security Council has adopted several resolutions on Gaza including for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and demanding humanitarian access. The United States as well as Russia and China have vetoed several previous resolutions on the war. Spain will grant residency and work permits to about 300,000 migrants in the country illegally each year for the next three years. Spain's migration minister announced the new policy on Wednesday and said the policy aims to expand the country's aging workforce. Spain has largely remained receptive to receiving migrants even as other European nations are looking to tighten their borders. The policy will take effect next May. The American Western movie, "Rust," premiered on Wednesday three years after Hollywood's first on-set fatal shooting in nearly 30 years. Reuters correspondent Jillian Kitchener reports. Alec Baldwin's Western "Rust" received polite applause at the film's controversial world premiere. The screening at a low-key film festival in Poland on Wednesday comes three years after the accidental death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, who died when a live round was fired from a gun Baldwin pointed at her. The bullet also wounded director Joel Souza, who said he hoped the film's completion would be seen as a tribute to Hutchins. "It wasn't an easy decision by any means, but it became important to me and important to her husband that people see her final work." While filming "Rust" in October of 2021, Baldwin fired a live round inadvertently loaded by the movie's chief weapons handler, Hannah Gutierrez. A judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin, but Gutierrez is serving an 18-month prison sentence. Souza said the church scene they were working on when the deadly shot was fired has been taken out of the film. Reuters correspondent Jillian Kitchener. 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. |