|
I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with this worldwide news update.
European leaders called for beefing up their defense spending Monday after a Paris summit on Ukraine and the region's security amid concerns about an aggressive Moscow and declining support from Washington. The emergency meeting comes ahead of U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine, which it appears could leave out the Europeans. Lisa Bryant reports. The summit called by French President Emmanuel Macron came as Europeans confront a shift in transatlantic relations under the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said European security was at a turning point. Ahead of the Paris talks gathering European Union, NATO and British leaders, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described efforts to introduce competition between the European Union and the United States as senseless and potentially dangerous. Top U.S. and Russian officials will hold talks Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine and a possible summit between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Neither Ukraine nor the Europeans have been invited. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his country is willing to send troops to Ukraine as part of any peace deal. Other European leaders say that's premature. Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Hungary, which is close to both Russia and the Trump administration, said the Paris talks undermine peace. Leaders in Paris also discussed ways to rapidly increase Europe's own defense capabilities and support for Ukraine. The U.S. has long pushed Europe to do more for its own defense. Now, with Russia gaining the advantage on the ground in Ukraine and Washington calling for NATO members to increase military budgets, Europeans are sensing an urgency to do so. Lisa Bryant, VOA News. This is VOA News. Israel's military says its forces will remain in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon after Tuesday's deadline for their withdrawal under a cease-fire with the Hezbollah militant group. Lebanon's government has expressed frustration over another delay. A separate cease-fire in Gaza is also in doubt as the region marks 500 days of Israel's war with Hamas. Talks are yet to start on the cease-fire's second phase, which would release more hostages and cede the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. An Israeli official says four bodies are expected to be returned to Israel on Thursday. A Delta Airlines plane flipped while landing at Toronto's Pearson Airport and ended up on its roof on Monday, injuring 19 people. AP correspondent Mike Hempen reports. The airport says an incident occurred on a Delta flight from Minneapolis and that all 80 passengers and crew members have been accounted for. Paramedics say three people are critically injured. Video shows the plane upside down on a snowy tarmac as emergency workers hose it down. It's too early to say what caused the plane to flip, but weather may have been a factor. The Meteorological Service of Canada says the airport was experiencing blowing snow and wind gusts. It's at least the fourth major aviation mishap in North America in the past month. I'm Mike Hempen. Mexico says it's waiting for a new response from Google to its request that the tech company fully restore the name Gulf of Mexico to its Google Maps before filing a lawsuit. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports. During a news conference Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shared a letter from Google saying the tech company will not change the name after President Trump declared the body of water the Gulf of America. Sheinbaum says the mapping policy violates Mexican sovereignty because the U.S. only has jurisdiction over around 46 percent of the Gulf, the rest controlled by Mexico and Cuba. The Mexican president also says, "We will wait for Google's response and if not, we will proceed to court." I'm Julie Walker. Vatican authorities said Monday that Pope Francis has a complex infection in his respiratory system and will require more targeted drug treatment. Officials said the 88-year-old pope is suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection but gave few details. Experts say that's not uncommon in older people with prior medical problems and should be treatable with the right antibiotics. 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. |