From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Michael Brown reporting.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley took aim at Iran and its proxy militia Hezbollah on Thursday, saying the United States would act against this "growing menace."

The U.S. ambassador's strong comments come on a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Iran the leader of sponsoring terrorism responsible for conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon and warned it taking the similar path as North Korea.

"The United States is keen to avoid a second piece of evidence that strategic patience is a failed approach. A comprehensive Iran policy requires that we address all of the threats posed by Iran, and it is clear there are many."

Tillerson said the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has ignored the other serious threats the country poses.

The U.N. Security Council on Thursday "strongly condemned" the most recent ballistic missile test by North Korea, blaming Pyongyang for "greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond."

The Security Council's statement comes as the administration of President Trump signals it is running out of patience with the North, which continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

"As far as North Korea is concerned, we are in very good shape. We're building our military rapidly. Answer your question on stability. I hope the answer is a positive one, not a negative one. But hopefully that will be something that gets taken care of." :President Trump.

French police are investigating a possible terror attack that left one police officer dead, two others wounded. Police say gunmen opened fire on the officers Thursday night on the Champs-Elysees just ahead of France presidential election.

From here in Washington, this is VOA news.

The Russian Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian sect, are an "extremist" group and ordered their Russian property turned over to the government and the group "dissolved" and its activities banned.

Russia's Justice Ministry had sought the order, which the group said it will appeal.

Russian authorities have repeatedly targeted the group in a wide-ranging crackdown on religious freedom.

President Trump is directing the administration to investigate whether steel imports are jeopardizing U.S. national interests.

"We're going to fight for American workers and American-made steel. And that's beginning immediately. For decades, America has lost our jobs and our factories to unfair foreign trade. And one steel mill after another has been shut down, abandoned, and closed, and we're going to reverse that."

A 1960s trade law gives the president authority to restrict imports if they are determined to be harmful to U.S. security interests.

Opponents of the Venezuelan government converged on downtown Caracas for a second day Thursday, pledging to sustain peaceful pressure on leftist President Nicholás Maduro to restore democracy in the crisis-ridden country.

Security teams were out in force nationwide after at least three people were fatally shot Wednesday as tens of thousands of pro- and anti-government factions took to the streets in the largest anti-government demonstrations in decades.

Wednesday's deaths bring the number of people killed in almost three weeks of escalating protests to eight.

In recent days, Maduro ordered troops to fan out across the country on high alert, and he encouraged his backers, including civilian militia members, to defend against alleged plans to overthrow his government.

Marijuana enthusiasts in the United States are celebrating today April 20 as an informal holiday with renewed excitement about new polling data showing support for the legalization of the drug is at an all-time high.

A just released poll shows 60 percent of Americans say they support the legalization of marijuana, compared to 51 percent polled five years ago.

Most Americans taking the survey say they oppose enforcement of federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana.

Currently, 29 states have legalized marijuana use for medicinal purposes, and eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use.

From here in Washington, I'm Michael Brown reporting.

That's the latest world news from VOA.