US says it fired missile at Iran-bound oil tanker
The US says it has struck and "disabled an unladen oil tanker" that was sailing towards Iran, as part of Washington's naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, BBC reported.
US Central Command (Centcom) said a US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T vessel, after its crew "ignored repeated warnings".
Centcom also released a footage purportedly showing the moment the tanker was hit on Tuesday. Iran has not publicly commented on the issue.
Ukraine's Kyiv under heavy Russian attack, apartment building on fire, mayor says
Kyiv was under heavy Russian attack early on Tuesday, with a large pillar of smoke seen rising from the Ukrainian capital and authorities urging residents to seek shelter, according to witnesses and officials, Reuters reported.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a fire had broken out in the Podil district on the grounds of a non-residential property and a nine-storey apartment building was on fire after debris apparently struck the roof.
Israel's Netanyahu orders attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday, signalling the risk of further escalation in a war that has complicated mediation towards resolving the U.S.-Iran conflict, Reuters reported.
Iranian state TV later said a ceasefire agreed between Iran and the U.S. was very likely to end if Israeli attacks persisted in Lebanon, where war has raged since Hezbollah entered the regional conflict on Tehran's side on March 2.
Trump's 'weaponization' fund put on hold after fierce opposition from Congress
President Donald Trump's nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of alleged government “weaponization" has been put on hold after the White House faced fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress, three sources familiar with the plan said on Monday, Reuters reported.
The rare rebuke of Trump demonstrated some Republicans' increased willingness to flex their political power against the president, particularly after his endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn ahead of a crucial midterm election.
