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I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with your worldwide news update.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday announced a big new military aid package for Ukraine three weeks before leaving office. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. The president says the U.S. will send nearly $2.5 billion more in weapons to Kyiv. It comes as his administration has vowed to spend all it has available to help Ukraine before Donald Trump takes over. The administration wants Ukraine in the strongest negotiating position possible, with Trump talking about working on some type of deal between Kyiv and Moscow. The Treasury Department says the U.S. will also send some $3.4 billion in economic aid to pay for things like salaries of teachers and first responders. Sagar Meghani, Washington. Ukraine's president says Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap on Monday that was mediated by the United Arab Emirates and other partners. Reuters correspondent ??? has more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 189 POWs were brought home, including soldiers, sergeants and officers from different frontline areas. He said it also included two Ukrainian civilians, who were captured by Russian troops at the southern port of Mariupol in 2022. Zelenskyy also thanked the United Arab Emirates and other partners for facilitating the swap. Meanwhile, Russian soldiers were seen getting on a bus and speaking with Russia's human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, in a video posted on her Telegram channel. The Russian Defense Ministry said 150 Russian servicemen were returning home. Moscow added that Russian captives had been released on Belarusian territory and would be transferred to Russia. Reuters correspondent ???. This is VOA News. South Korean officials plan to conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines as they struggle to determine what caused Sunday's plane crash of a Boeing 737-800 that killed 179 people. Acting President Choi Sang-mok also instructed authorities on Monday to conduct an emergency review of the country's aircraft operation systems. The plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. All but two of the 181 people aboard were killed. Earth is getting more crowded, although the rate of growth was a little slower in 2024 than it was in 2023. AP correspondent Jackie Quinn reports. Census Bureau estimates find the world population by New Year's Day will be 8.09 billion people. That's an increase of 71 million people this year alone. In the U.S., there were 2.6 million more people, bringing the population to 341 million. The Census Bureau says this coming year in America, the combination of a birth every nine seconds, a death every 9.4 seconds, and population growth from migration will result in one new person being added every 21 seconds. I'm Jackie Quinn. New York police say security will be extra tight ahead of celebrations on the last night of the year. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. Bombs sniffing dogs, drones, dump trucks blocking streets and cops on every corner. That's just some of the NYPD security for New Year's Eve in Times Square. "At this time, there are no specific credible threats." However, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says ever since last year's Hamas attack in Israel, they've been operating in a heightened threat environment. "The public can expect to see a tremendous amount of police resources deployed throughout the area and across the city." Mayor Eric Adams says it's all about making sure everyone has a safe experience. "There are many officers that have plainclothes assignments to give the element of surprise." Thousands are expected to pack the small area of Times Square surrounding the ball drop even more in the buildings and blocks surrounding it. Julie Walker, New York. 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. |