S. Korea to partially withdraw diplomatic staff from Ukraine
South Korea has decided to partially withdraw its diplomatic staff from Ukraine amid airstrike threats across Ukraine and diplomatic dispute between the two countries, the South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Park Doo-soon, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing that the government decided on a partial withdrawal of embassy personnel, considering that it was made difficult to ensure safety as airstrike threats persisted across Ukraine, while there had been no proactive measures from the Ukrainian side even after the recall of the South Korean ambassador.
U.S. defense chief makes unannounced visit to Israel, meets Netanyahu
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The meeting took place at a military base in southern Israel, according to the Israeli Army Radio.
Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment on the report.
Britain to send jets to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks
Britain will deploy Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon jets to defend Saudi Arabia to protect the country from escalating Houthi attacks, the BBC reported Tuesday.
The defensive mission authorized by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will help defend Saudi cities and infrastructure against aerial attacks by the Houthi group, said the report.
"These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting was quoted as saying in a written statement on Tuesday.
Israel's Netanyahu says discussed overthrowing Iran's government with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel was "committed" to overthrowing Iran's government and that he had discussed the goal with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.
"We must complete the overthrow of the Iranian regime. That is the main thing. I have discussed this with President Trump more than once, including two days ago," Netanyahu said during public remarks at a university in northern Israel.
He said overthrowing the Iranian government would also lead to the "elimination of Hezbollah" and peace with Lebanon.
Kenya's Ebola cases rise to nine, all in one cluster
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Kenya has risen to nine, including one death, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday, adding that all the cases belong to a single cluster with no evidence of transmission beyond it.
Patrick Amoth, director-general for health in the Ministry of Health, said the ninth case, confirmed on Monday, was a 24-year-old man and a close family member of the first case. The man was already in quarantine when he fell ill.
Romania's new government takes office
Romania's new government led by Luca Niculescu took the oath of office before Romanian President Nicusor Dan at the Cotroceni Palace on Tuesday evening.
The Romanian parliament approved Niculescu's government earlier on Tuesday, with 280 lawmakers voting in favor, ending a political crisis that has lasted nearly six months in the country.
Italy deploys 500 troops to Milan, tighten security laws after clashes
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday that the government has decided to deploy 500 troops to Milan until the end of the year and introduce tougher penalties following violent clashes in the city and other parts of the country over the weekend.
In a video posted on social media, Meloni said the cabinet had approved a decree introducing new security measures, including the criminal offense of "violent participation in a demonstration", punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to 20,000 euros (about 22,500 U.S. dollars).
Israeli defense minister says over 60 Lebanese villages destroyed
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israeli forces had destroyed more than 60 villages and 23,000 homes in southern Lebanon, while renewing a threat to seize additional territory if Hezbollah joins an Iranian attack on Israel.
In a statement, Katz said Israel had occupied about 700 square km of southern Lebanon following its renewed military offensive against Hezbollah in March, forcing some 200,000 Shiite residents from the area. He referred to the Lebanese territory as an Israeli "security zone."
Zelensky, U.S. envoy Witkoff discuss ceasefire proposals in Oslo
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed proposals for various ceasefire formats with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday, Ukraine's state-run Ukrinform news agency reported.
The meeting was also attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Speaking after the meeting, Zelensky said the talks also covered security guarantees for Ukraine and the country's recovery.
Iran's IRGC says third "violating" tanker caught fire after hitting mine near Hormuz Strait
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that a "violating" supertanker exploded and caught fire earlier in the day after hitting a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz, the third tanker to catch fire after striking mines in the waterway.
In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the vessel, carrying more than 2 million barrels of crude, had turned off its radar and navigation systems and ignored the navy's warnings while seeking to exit the strait via an "unauthorized" route south of the waterway.■
