From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Tommie McNeil reporting.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is denouncing the Syrian government and Russia for the failure of a cease-fire in Syria that the U.N. Security Council demanded two weeks ago.

Haley said they have made a mockery of this process and the institution, referring to the Security Council. She added that Syria and Russia were supposed to support the cease-fire, but bombs were still dropping on the children of eastern Ghouta.

"Today, we must ask whether Russia can no longer influence the Assad regime to stop the horrific destruction of hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances, to stop dropping chemical weapons on villages. Has the situation in Syria reversed and Russia is now the tool of Assad? Or worse, Iran?"

Haley said the United States has drafted a new cease-fire resolution that provides no room for evasion.

Haley and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster spoke to reporters after the council meeting and McMaster said he informed the members that progress is being made and a diplomatic resolution to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is still a priority.

This comes as the Trump administration acknowledges that North Korea has not followed up on a proposed meeting between President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

"We all agreed that we're optimistic about this opportunity, but we're determined, we're determined to keep up the campaign of maximum pressure until we see words matched with deeds and real progress toward denuclearization."

Police in the state of Texas are issuing warnings to residents in the city of Austin after bombs left at several homes detonated and killed and injured several people.

They were left outside the homes of two African-Americans and an 75-year-old Hispanic woman.

Two people have been killed.

This is VOA news.

For the first time since a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned by nerve agent in Britain, British Prime Minister [is now] Theresa May is now officially pointing the finger at who investigators think is responsible.

"It is now clear that Mr. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. This is part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Britain must clarify its position on the poisoning before Russia will agree to speak about it.

Skripal served in Russia's military agency, GRU, and was exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.

Due to demands in U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's schedule, he is now cutting short his trip to Africa by about a day.

The top U.S. diplomat is to meet with the Nigerian president today before he is heading home.

On Monday, he visited N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, for talks with President Idriss Deby.

"We know that Chad faces many security threats on each of its borders. We appreciate Chad's important role in providing security for its own citizens and its contribution to the security of its neighbors as well."

And while Tillerson was in Africa, President Trump announced that he accepted North Korea's invitation for direct talks with its leader Kim Jong Un by May.

A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved radically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting into flames as it landed Monday in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu.

Officials and witnesses said the crash killed at least 50 people. The exact number of dead and injured remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash and the rush of badly injured people to nearby hospitals.

Officials at Kathmandu Medical College said that they were treating 16 survivors.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is waiting for the outcome of court cases before deciding whether to take action on raising the age to buy long guns or rifles, but conceded that there is little political support to do so.

Hours after White House officials laid out gun-law changes they want enacted in the wake of last month's deadly shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead, Mr. Trump said on Twitter that "very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed." He said that bump stocks, which increase the rate of fire of some guns, "will soon be out."

In addition, he said that "highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry ...."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly urged his feuding coalition partners on Monday to remain in the government despite speculation he was seeking its collapse and a snap election to help him survive corruption allegations.

I'm Tommie McNeil, VOA news.

That's the latest world news from VOA.