Reuters World News Summary

Russia struck Ukrainian ports on Tuesday, a day after pulling out of a U.N.-backed deal for safe Black Sea grain exports, a decision that raised concern primarily in Africa and Asia of rising food prices and hunger. In meeting with Israel's Herzog, Biden cites 'hard work' ahead for peace President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog stressed their countries' close ties on Tuesday at a White House meeting despite U.S. tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over Jewish settlements and civil rights.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

US soldier facing disciplinary action flees into North Korea

An American soldier facing disciplinary action fled across the inter-Korean border into North Korea on Tuesday and was believed to be in North Korean custody, U.S. officials said, creating a fresh crisis for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern for the soldier, who the U.S. military in Korea said joined an orientation tour of Joint Security Area between the Koreas and "wilfully and without authorization crossed the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)."

US House rebuffs bid by Republican hardliners to end some sanctions

The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday turned back a bid by hardline conservatives to end five presidential emergency declarations that allow for sanctions against America's enemies in the Middle East and Africa. Four Republican Representatives - Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane - used separate measures known as privileged resolutions to require votes on whether to end longstanding emergency declarations involving Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Moldova separatist leader vows to solve opposition politician's suspected murder

The president of Moldova's separatist pro-Russian Transdniestria region vowed on Tuesday to solve the suspected murder of an opposition politician who was a rare advocate of reconciliation with the country's pro-European government. Transdniestria broke away from Moldova before the end of Soviet rule and after a brief war against the newly independent state's military in 1992 has remained a separate entity, though with no international recognition.

Intensifying heat waves prompt health warnings for Europe, US

A global pattern of heat waves scorching parts of Europe, Asia and the United States intensified on Tuesday, with the World Meteorological Organization warning of an increased risk of deaths linked to excessively high temperatures. Americans were facing a medley of extreme weather, from blazing heat from Texas to Southern California to smoke-choked air wafting into the Midwest from Canada's wildfires. Flood warnings were up for Vermont towns that were inundated just last week, while Tropical Storm Calvin was expected to hit the Pacific island state of Hawaii later on Tuesday.

Thousands rally, Israeli reservists step up protest against judicial change

Protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul intensified on Tuesday with demonstrations nationwide, and a retired Israeli air force general said 161 of the corps' reserve officers had vowed to no longer report for duty. The officers, with ranks ranging from major to brigadier-general, notified the military of their decision over the last three days and would publish a joint statement - with names redacted - on Wednesday, Asaf Agmon told Reuters.

North Korea fires two missiles after U.S. submarine arrives in S.Korea

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles eastward early on Wednesday, Japan's and South Korea's militaries said, just hours after a U.S. ballistic missile submarine arrived in a South Korean port for the first time in four decades. Both of the missiles appeared to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese Defence Ministry said.

Exclusive-US issues new 120-day waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for electricity

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday signed a new national security waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for electricity that for the first time allows such payments to go to accounts at non-Iraqi banks, a U.S. official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. hoped the 120-day national security waiver would help stop Iran pressuring Iraq for access to the money, which previously could only be deposited into restricted accounts in Iraq.

Russia carries out air strikes for second night on Ukraine's Odesa port -governor

Ukrainian air defence systems were engaged in the early hours of Wednesday in repelling a Russian air attack on the southern port of Odesa for a second consecutive night, the region's governor said. Russia struck Ukrainian ports on Tuesday, a day after pulling out of a U.N.-backed deal for safe Black Sea grain exports, a decision that raised concern primarily in Africa and Asia of rising food prices and hunger.

In meeting with Israel's Herzog, Biden cites 'hard work' ahead for peace

President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog stressed their countries' close ties on Tuesday at a White House meeting despite U.S. tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government over Jewish settlements and civil rights. Citing issues including Netanyahu's human rights record, a handful of Democratic lawmakers said they would stay away when Herzog addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday, the last day of a two-day visit.

UN says ideas 'floated' on how to get Ukraine, Russia grain to world

There are a "number of ideas being floated" to help get Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertilizer to global markets after Moscow quit a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, the United Nations said on Tuesday. The Black Sea deal was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July last year to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are among the world's top grain exporters.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)