|
I'm VOA's Joe Ramsey with this worldwide news update.
The Vatican said Pope Francis suffered two new acute respiratory crises on Monday. AP correspondent Nicole Winfield has more from Vatican City. The Vatican is reporting another setback in Pope Francis' recovery from pneumonia. Doctors say they had to put him back on the non-invasive mechanical ventilation. They also had to perform what's called a bronchoscopy where they snaked a tube down into his airways guided by a camera to suction out the mucus and secretions that he's not been able to cough out on his own. They speak of these episodes as in the past tense, meaning they are over, but they are still saying that his prognosis is guarded, meaning he is not out of danger. AP correspondent Nicole Winfield. A White House official says President Donald Trump on Monday directed a pause to U.S. assistance to Ukraine after last week's Oval Office meeting. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. Vladimir Zelenskyy says the end "is still very, very far away." On social media, President Trump slammed that as the worst thing Zelenskyy could have said. And hours later at the White House, "He better not be right about that." The Brookings Institution's Angela Stent, a former U.S. intelligence officer for Russia who has written a book about Vladimir Putin, says the Russian leader has no interest in negotiating a deal to stop the fighting right now and first wants to watch U.S.-European relations implode. "... and it will be much easier [than to] for Russia to win this war on its own terms." But the president's focused on Zelenskyy, saying if someone doesn't wanna make a deal, "That person won't be around very long. That person will not be listened to very long." Sagar Meghani, Washington. This is VOA News. The future of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is in doubt after Israel stopped all aid from entering the Gaza Strip. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem. Israel's announcement that it is blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza through its checkpoints has caused fear and panic buying in Gaza's markets. The move comes as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and share festive meals in the evenings. This year's Ramadan is taking place amid massive destruction caused by 16 months of heavy fighting between Israel and the terrorist-designated Hamas. Hamas seized 250 hostages in an October 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel, sparking a war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians and more than 1,700 Israelis dead. So far, 147 hostages have been returned to Israel alive, most in two cease-fire deals with Hamas. Israel has also released some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas, Arab states, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the Israeli blockage of aid shipments, accusing Israel of violating the cease-fire terms. Linda Gradstein, VOA News, Jerusalem. President Trump said on Monday that 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on Tuesday. Reuters correspondent Jillian Kitchener reports. U.S. stocks plunged after Trump said there was no room left for a deal that would avert the tariffs by halting the flow of fentanyl into the United States. "On the tariffs, is there any room left for Canada and Mexico to make a deal before midnight?" "No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs, you know, they're all set." Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum on Monday told reporters, quote, "We maintained communication. We have made the agreements and the necessary coordination." But she said the decision to impose tariffs rested with Trump and said Mexico was ready with a plan B, C and D. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday told reporters Canada should not be blamed for the amount of fentanyl in the U.S. "We had about less than one percent when we first started talking about this many months ago. That number is significantly lower than that even now." Economists say that if Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs, which cover more than $900 billion worth of annual imports from Canada and Mexico, it would deal a serious setback to the highly integrated North American economy. 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. |