From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Liz Parker reporting.

U.N. ambassadors speak out.

After a flurry of last minute negotiations, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution Saturday demanding a 30-day cease-fire in Syria. This will allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The vote comes with the support of Syrian ally, Russia.

Here is the U.S.'s ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley. "Today, Russia has belatedly decided to join the international consensus and accept a need to call for a cease-fire, but only after trying every possible way to avoid it."

Acting Deputy British Ambassador to the U.N. Stephen Hickey said the Council must not stand by and let the suffering continue.

"As we have repeated many times, this intentional and systematic targeting of civilians and civilian objects not only violates international humanitarian law, it's a war crime. And the UK will be unrelenting in our campaign to ensure accountability."

Warplanes have pounded Eastern Ghouta for seven days straight. About two dozen people were killed Saturday, increasing the civilian death toll to more than 500 including 120 children.

The White House has released a redacted version of a Democratic memo that rebuts a Republican account of alleged FBI surveillance abuses. The memo was released Saturday three weeks after the Republican version.

The latest memo alleges the opposing version omits and misrepresents facts related to the FBI and how its surveyed a former Trump campaign adviser. It also accuses President Trump of ignoring concerns about releasing sensitive information in earlier memo.

We have more coverage on voanews.com. This is VOA news.

On the issue of gun violence, specifically at U.S. schools, President Trump reemphasized for a third day in a row his belief that teachers should be armed. This comes after last week's shooting in which 17 people were killed at a Florida high school and news that some officers there during the shooting delayed going inside to intervene.

Saturday, lawmaker Ted Deutch disagreed with the president. The congressman represents the families who were victimized by last week's shooting.

"But thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough. Congress owes them something more. We owe them action.

For those who say it's too soon, for those who always say it's too soon to make change, you must live with the knowledge that it is too late for the grieving parents, it's too late for the survivors who will carry this with them forever."

The president also called again for comprehensive background checks on gun buyers among other topics related to gun control.

The Turkish government said it is "extremely worrying" the U.S. will open an embassy in Jerusalem in May instead of by the end of next year as previously announced.

President Trump announced U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December, angering Arab allies and Palestinians.

About 15,000 protesters turned out on the streets of Tel Aviv Saturday to voice their opposition to the deportation of African asylum-seekers, many of them from Sudan and Eritrea.

Over the past 12 years, about 40,000 Africans are estimated to have entered Israel illegally.

Israel began detaining African asylum-seekers earlier this week if they refuse to accept the deal to encourage them to leave, $3,500 and a plane ticket to an African destination.

About a dozen such refugees were already thrown in jail this week.

A series of suicide bombings and militant raids in Afghanistan has killed dozens of people, a day after construction work on the much-awaited Afghan section of an international gas pipeline began.

The Islamic State terrorist group claimed it plotted the violence.

China responded angrily Saturday to new sanctions the U.S. imposed on North Korea. The country maintains they are counterproductive to efforts to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and long-range missile development programs.

President Trump announced on Friday [that he] what he called the "largest ever" set of sanctions against North Korea. The sanctions target one person, 27 companies and 28 ships registered in China and seven other countries with the intent of eliminating North Korea's illicit shipping and trade.

More on these stories and much more on voanews.com. I'm Liz Parker in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.