NATO to adjust defense posture in Black Sea "as needed": Mark Rutte
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that NATO would adjust its deterrence and defence posture in the Black Sea region if the situation requires it.
In a post on social media platform X, Rutte said he had spoken by phone with Bulgarian Prime Minister Radev about recent attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.
NATO would continue to work closely with its allies in the Black Sea region, he said, adding that the alliance had strengthened its deployments on the eastern flank and would continue to monitor the security situation and adjust its deterrence and defense posture "as needed."
A series of drone attacks on merchant vessels has occurred in recent days in the Black Sea waters near Bulgaria. Bulgaria has sought support from NATO and the European Union to help investigate the attacks and strengthen surveillance of the relevant maritime and airspace.
Russia detains Japanese correspondent on espionage charges
A Japanese correspondent detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage had admitted to people close to him that he was in contact with Japanese intelligence, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday.
The statement was based on a video provided to local media by the FSB's public relations center.
The correspondent worked for the Japanese newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the administrative center of Russia's Sakhalin Region. He was detained in the region Tuesday on suspicion of espionage, the FSB said earlier.
In the video, an FSB operative said the agency had decided to halt the correspondent's alleged unlawful activities after examining his intentions and what it described as activity unusual for an accredited journalist.
Saudi-led coalition strikes Yemen's Houthi-held Sanaa as Houthis threaten retaliation
Saudi-led coalition strikes hit Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Tuesday, triggering powerful explosions, local residents said, shortly after the coalition ordered civilians to evacuate a designated site in the city.
Residents told Xinhua loud explosions were heard across Sanaa, causing panic in parts of the city and long queues at fuel stations over fears of supply disruptions.
Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said the strikes targeted a Yemen Petroleum Company facility in the Al-Sabaha area, west of Sanaa. No casualties were immediately reported.
The channel, citing a company source, said the facility was empty of petroleum products at the time of the strikes and had "no military value." The claim could not be independently verified.
Trump says he may meet top DPRK leader during Asia trip next month
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he may meet with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, during his trip to Asia in November.
Asked by reporters at the White House whether he planned to meet Kim during the trip, Trump replied, "I may."
"That'll be exciting, won't it? But I get along with him," the president added.
Trump has expressed his intention to attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in China next month.
In August, Trump suggested that he expected to meet Kim sometime this year.■
