South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital

South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital
South Korean opposition leader stabbed, rushed to hospital
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea enters Seoul Plaza, the memorial site for 2022 Itaewon disaster victims, during a memorial event of the first anniversary on Oct. 29, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

(SEOUL, South Korea) — An opposition leader in South Korea was attacked during a press conference on Tuesday, according to the Busan Metropolitan Police.

South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by an assailant in Busan, South Korea, according to police.

Lee was transferred to Seoul National University Hospital via helicopter, Democratic Party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung told journalists in front of Busan University Hospital on Tuesday.

Doctors found damage to Lee’s jugular vein, the spokesperson said.

“This is an act of terror on Representative Lee Jae-myung and a serious threat to democracy which should never take place under any circumstances. We ask the police to investigate the case without any doubt,” Kwon said.

When asked about Lee’s condition, Kwon said he would “judge upon hearing doctor’s opinion.”

Lee was attacked while answering questions from the press after touring the site of Gadeokdo New Airport. The assailant approached him shouting for an autograph, and then attacked him, according to police.

Video footage from the scene showed Lee moving slowly through throngs of reporters, including some holding cameras and phones. A man approached Lee from the front and appeared to jab him in the throat.

Police confirmed that Lee suffered a wound that was about one centimeter wide. Lee was taken to Busan National University Hospital, provided with emergency treatment and then transferred to Seoul National University Hospital around 1 p.m. Lee was conscious after the attack, officials said.

Police briefed journalists in the afternoon that the suspect is a man born in 1957, adding that the exact circumstances of the attack are currently under investigation. The weapon allegedly used by the suspect is about 18 cm long and was purchased through the Internet, police said. Busan Police said they plan to establish an investigation headquarters with 68 people led by the head of the investigation department.

President Yoon Seok-yeol, who won the presidency over Lee in the 2022 general election, expressed concern about his wellbeing in a statement.

The president said he has instructed the police and other authorities to investigate the attack and to do their best to support Lee Jae-myung’s hospital transfer and treatment.

The president stressed that “our society should not tolerate such acts of violence in any case.”

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Japan Airlines plane on fire on runway after landing at Tokyo airport

Japan Airlines plane on fire on runway after landing at Tokyo airport
Japan Airlines plane on fire on runway after landing at Tokyo airport
This photo provided by Jiji Press shows a Japan Airlines plane on fire on a runway of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Jan. 2, 2024. (STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

(TOKYO) — A Japan Airlines plane was engulfed in flames after landing at Haneda Airport on Tuesday.

The flight, JL516, which was travelling from Chitose, Hokkaido, may have struck a Japan Coast Guard plane as it was landing, officials told Japanese broadcaster NHK, saying it was a preliminary assessment. The aircraft landed at about 5:47 p.m. local time.

There were 367 passengers and 12 crew members onboard when the flight landed, NHK reported. All 379 have safely left the plane, the airline said, according to NHK.

Live video from the airport, an international hub on the outskirts of Tokyo, showed firefighters battling flames that have engulfed the aircraft’s fuselage.

The plane was an Airbus A350, according to flight tracker FlightAware.

Story developing…

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4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning

4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

(TOKYO and LONDON) — At least four people have died after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s west coast on Monday afternoon, officials said.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck at about 4:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter on the Noto Peninsula, along the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude at 7.6, adding there had also been more 100 jolts in the region, including aftershocks.

Japanese officials had issued a major tsunami warning for the peninsula and evacuation warnings and surrounding Ishikawa Prefecture — where the four victims were from — before downgrading it about five hours later to a tsunami warning. The lesser warning said waves could be expected high as 3 meters, or about 10 feet, near the epicenter, down from 5 meters, or about 16 feet.

Authorities were urgently directing the population to move to higher ground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office issued a statement telling residents nearby to evacuate immediately. People were being urged not to go to the coast and to stay away from waterways.

Outside of the major tsunami warning area, a tsunami advisory has been issued for the entire Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu and Western Hokkaido island.

Monday’s warning is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake struck Tohoku, causing disastrous and deadly tsunami waves.

Initial tsunami waves had begun striking land on Monday evening, with some reportedly reaching about 1.2 meters along the Noto Peninsula and the surrounding Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Tsunami waves were reported as far north as Hokkaido Prefecture.

Kishida appeared briefly before television cameras at his residence, saying the government was collecting information and assessing the situation. His administration set up a disaster response office, he said. He vowed to get an accurate assessment of the situation and said that saving lives was his utmost priority.

“I urge local residents in the affected areas to evacuate,” he said. “Others in the region must be vigilant, be on the lookout as further quakes may hit.”

The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo, where it sent power lines and light fixtures swaying.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it had recorded within 90 minutes about 19 additional earthquakes above a magnitude of 1, including the largest one. The largest quake was “very shallow,” the agency said.

Video broadcast on local TV showed collapsed concrete statues and damage to buildings. Many homes have been damaged or collapses, according to NHK.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, on the Japanese island of Honshu, as many as 40,000 are without electricity. Additionally, hundreds if not thousands of people, will be spending the night outdoors Monday night, where temperatures will be below freezing.

Officials in Ishikawa’s Wajima City, a city near the epicenter, say a fire broke out in the center of the city damaging more than 50 stores and houses on a street that hosts a morning market, the country’s Fire Disaster Management Agency said. Additional fires in Kanazawa and Joetsu, cities on the mainland near the Noto Peninsula, were extinguished, the agency said.

Bullet trains in the region were suspended. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reportedly cancelled flights to and from the region. Hospitals in the region were reporting power outages, perhaps complicating treatment of the injured.

No abnormalities in regional power reactors have been reported. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which runs a nuclear power plant in Shika, in Ishikawa Prefecture, said in a press release that it was checking the status of its equipment.

Waves up to a meter were possible in North Korea and Russia, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

“Don’t let your guard down, move away from the coast,” was the continuing message from Japanese authorities as night fell.

“Things can turn catastrophic in an instant,” authorities said. “The first wave may not be the largest.”

The White House said President Joe Biden received a briefing from his national security team on the earthquake in Japan, as well as developments in the Middle East, while vacationing in St. Croix with his family.

“Jill and I are praying for the people of Japan who have been impacted by the terrible earthquake,” Biden said in a statement. “My administration is in touch with Japanese officials, and the United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people. As close Allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people. Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time.”

ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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Tsunami warning issued after powerful earthquake strikes Japan

4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

(TOKYO and LONDON) — Japanese officials issued a tsunami warning and evacuation warnings after a powerful earthquake struck the west coast on Monday afternoon.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck at about 4:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter on the Noto Peninsula, along the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it measured the quake at a preliminary magnitude at 7.6, adding there had also been more than a dozen smaller ones, including aftershocks.

Japanese officials had issued a major tsunami warning for the peninsula and surrounding Ishikawa Prefecture before downgrading it about five hours later to a tsunami warning. The lesser warning said waves could be expected high as 3 meters, or about 10 feet, near the epicenter, down from 5 meters, or about 16 feet.

Authorities were urgently directing the population to move to higher ground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office issued a statement telling residents nearby to evacuate immediately. People were being urged not to go to the coast and to stay away from waterways.

Tsunami threats were in effect along Japan’s west coast, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center. Outside of the major tsunami warning area, a tsunami advisory has been issued for the entire Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu and Western Hokkaido island.

Monday’s warning is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake struck Tohoku, causing disastrous and deadly tsunami waves.

Initial tsunami waves had begun striking land on Monday evening, with some reportedly reaching about 1.2 meters along the Noto Peninsula and the surrounding Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Tsunami waves were reported as far north as Hokkaido Prefecture.

Kishida appeared briefly before television cameras at his residence, saying the government was collecting information and assessing the situation. His administration set up a disaster response office, he said. He vowed to get an accurate assessment of the situation and said that saving lives was his utmost priority.

“I urge local residents in the affected areas to evacuate,” he said. “Others in the region must be vigilant, be on the lookout as further quakes may hit.”

The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo, where it sent power lines and light fixtures swaying.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it had recorded within 90 minutes about 19 additional earthquakes above a magnitude of 1, including the largest one. The largest quake was “very shallow,” the agency said.

Video broadcast on local TV showed collapsed concrete statues and damage to buildings.

Firefighters were battling a blaze in Wajima, a city near the epicenter, the country’s Fire Disaster Management Agency said. Additional fires in Kanazawa and Joetsu, cities on the mainland near the Noto Peninsula, were extinguished, the agency said.

Bullet trains in the region were suspended. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reportedly cancelled flights to and from the region. Hospitals in the region were reporting power outages, perhaps complicating treatment of the injured.

No abnormalities in regional power reactors have been reported. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which runs a nuclear power plant in Shika, in Ishikawa Prefecture, said in a press release that it was checking the status of its equipment.

Waves up to a meter were possible in North Korea and Russia, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

“Don’t let your guard down, move away from the coast,” was the continuing message from Japanese authorities as night fell.

“Things can turn catastrophic in an instant,” authorities said. “The first wave may not be the largest.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Major tsunami warning issued after powerful earthquake strikes Japan

4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
4 dead after powerful earthquake strikes Japan, triggering tsunami warning
Gary S Chapman/Getty Images

(TOKYO and LONDON) — Japanese officials issued a major tsunami warning and evacuation warnings after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck the west coast on Monday afternoon.

The earthquake struck at about 4:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter on the Noto Peninsula, along the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for the peninsula and surrounding Ishikawa Prefecture. The agency warned of waves up to about 5 meters, or about 16 feet.

Authorities were urgently directing the population to move to higher ground. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office issued a statement telling residents nearby to evacuate immediately. People were being urged on Monday not to go to the coast and to stay away from waterways.

Tsunami threats were in effect along Japan’s west coast, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center. Outside of the major tsunami warning area, a tsunami advisory has been issued for the entire Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu and Western Hokkaido island.

Monday’s warning is the first time a major tsunami warning has been issued since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude quake struck Tohoku, causing disastrous and deadly tsunami waves.

Initial tsunami waves were already striking land on Monday evening, with some reportedly reaching about 1.2 meters along the Noto Peninsula, along with surrounding Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures. Tsunami waves have so far been reported as far north as Hokkaido Prefecture.

Kishida appeared briefly before television cameras at his residence, saying the government was collecting information and assessing the situation. His administration set up a disaster response office, he said. He vowed to get an accurate assessment of the situation and said that saving lives was his utmost priority.

“I urge local residents in the affected areas to evacuate,” he said. “Others in the region must be vigilant, be on the lookout as further quakes may hit.”

The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo, where it sent power lines and light fixtures swaying.

Video broadcast on local TV showed collapsed concrete statues and damage to buildings. Bullet trains in the region were suspended. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reportedly cancelled flights to and from the region. Hospitals in the region were reporting power outages, perhaps complicating treatment of the injured.

No abnormalities in regional power reactors have been reported. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, which runs a nuclear power plant in Shika, in Ishikawa Prefecture, said in a press release that it was checking the status of its equipment.

Waves up to a meter were possible in North Korea and Russia, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

“Don’t let your guard down, move away from the coast,” was the continuing message from Japanese authorities as night fell.

“Things can turn catastrophic in an instant,” authorities said. “The first wave may not be the largest.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In a surprise move, Queen of Denmark says in New Year’s speech that she will abdicate her throne

In a surprise move, Queen of Denmark says in New Year’s speech that she will abdicate her throne
In a surprise move, Queen of Denmark says in New Year’s speech that she will abdicate her throne
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gives a New Year’s speech from Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg Castle, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Dec. 31, 2023, announcing her upcoming abdication. (KELD NAVNTOFT/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — In a surprise New Year’s Eve announcement, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II said she plans to abdicate her throne more than five decades after succeeding her father King Frederik IX.

“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January, 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I will step down as Queen of Denmark,” she said in her annual speech to her nation.

The 83-year-old monarch said she will hand the throne over to her son, 55-year-old Crown Prince Frederik.

The announcement came near the end of the queen’s speech. She concluded the address offering thanks for the “overwhelming warmth and support which I have received during all these years.”

“Thank you to the changing governments with whom the collaboration always has been rewarding, and thank you to The Parliament, who have always vested their confidence in me,” Queen Margrethe said. “Thank you to the many, many people who on special occasions and in everyday life have embraced me and my family with kind words and thoughts, turning the years into a string of pearls.”

She said a series of recent “ailments,” including extensive back surgery in February, prompted her decision to step down.

“In two weeks time, I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of ‘ailments’ increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past,” she said.

In her speech, the queen noted the “horrible terrorist attack on civilians in Israel,” calling it “incomprehensible.”

“The war makes antisemitism spread again. It is tragic and shameful,” she said. “Tonight, I wish to make a clear and unequivocal call for all of us in Denmark to treat each other with respect. We must approach each other more closely, not distance ourselves from each other. We must remember that we are all human beings. This applies to Jews as well as Palestinians.”

She also used her final New Year’s Eve speech to address climate change, saying, “The seriousness is obvious.”

“The globe’s climate is changing faster than we thought,” the queen said. “We need to address climate change. The consequences are not only in the future. They are here already, and they are extreme. Most people in Denmark are fully aware of this, even if it has been difficult for some of us to fully realize it. Together we must now find the hope and determination to do something.”

As usual, she signed off her New Year’s speech, saying, “God bless Denmark. God bless you all.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a statement thanking the queen for her “lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom.”

“Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a nation,” Frederiksen said.

During her reign, Queen Margrethe, whose role has mostly been ceremonial, has been a popular public figure in Denmark as well as in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, semi-independent territories that comprise the Danish Realm.

She garnered praise from her royal subjects beginning as a princess when she joined the Danish women’s air force unit. Her popularity reached new heights in 2011 when she visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan wearing a military jumpsuit.

“In the new year, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed king. Crown Princess Mary will become queen,” Frederiksen said, referring to the prince’s wife of 19 years. “The kingdom will have a new regent and a new royal couple. We can look forward to all of this in the knowledge that they are ready for the responsibility and the task.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Exclusive: US to bring back aircraft carrier from eastern Mediterranean

Exclusive: US to bring back aircraft carrier from eastern Mediterranean
Exclusive: US to bring back aircraft carrier from eastern Mediterranean
U.S. Navy photo by Mass communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey

(WASHINGTON) — The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group will leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea, where it was sent just after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, in the “coming days,” two U.S. officials tell ABC News.

The Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier and was nearing the end of its first operational deployment when it was redirected to the eastern Mediterranean the day after Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sent the carrier and the five other surface warships to deter Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran from broadening the conflict regionally, saying at the time: “As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’ attack on Israel.”

In December, Austin extended the carrier’s deployment for a third time to maintain that deterrence role as tensions in the region remained high.

A senior U.S. official and a U.S. official told ABC News that in the “coming days,” the carrier and other surface ships that make up the strike group will return to the carrier’s home port of Norfolk, Virginia, as originally scheduled so it could prepare for future deployments.

The senior U.S. official stressed that the carrier’s return will keep to that schedule and that even with the Ford’s departure, the United States will still have a lot of military capability in the region and flexibility, including the deployment of additional cruisers and destroyers in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

“We have nothing to announce today,” said a Defense Department spokesman when contacted for comment.

Last week, the amphibious assault ships USS Bataan and USS Carter Hall arrived in the eastern Mediterranean from the Red Sea to reunite with the USS Mesa Verde.

The move reunited the three ships that had originally deployed together in July from North Carolina, as well as the 2,200 U.S. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the ships.

In the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, other countries also sent warships to the eastern Mediterranean — creating the largest naval presence in that region in decades — as part of an effort to deter Hezbollah and Iran.

A second U.S. Navy carrier strike group, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, had originally been ordered to join the Ford in the eastern Mediterranean but was ordered to the Persian Gulf region to deter Iran from broadening the war between Israel and Hamas.

The Eisenhower remains deployed to the Middle East and is currently in the Gulf of Aden east of Yemen, where tensions have risen in recent weeks as Houthi militants have used drones and ballistic missiles to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea region, purportedly as a show of support for Hamas.

Several U.S. Navy destroyers from both the Ford and Eisenhower strike groups have been deployed to the Red Sea, where they have brought down Houthi drones and missiles headed either in their direction or toward Israel.

Tensions escalated Sunday as U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire and sank three small boats carrying Houthi militants in the Red Sea, killing the crews, after U.S. warships responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel, military officials said.

Helicopters from the Eisenhower and the destroyer USS Gravely fired in self-defense after being shot at by Houthi militants aboard three fast small boats that were attacking a commercial vessel.

All the militants aboard three boats were killed, and a fourth boat fled, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.

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Israel-Gaza live updates: IDF says it expects war to last all of 2024

Israel-Gaza live updates: IDF says it expects war to last all of 2024
Israel-Gaza live updates: IDF says it expects war to last all of 2024
pawel.gaul/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel ended on Dec. 1, and Israel has resumed its bombardment of Gaza.

The end of the cease-fire came after Hamas freed over 100 of the more than 200 people its militants took hostage during the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. In exchange, Israel released more than 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Dec 31, 4:47 PM EST
IDF says it expects war to last all of 2024

The war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group is expected to last all of 2024, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the Israeli military is making adjustments to its deployment of troops in the Gaza Strip as it anticipates the war lasting for the entirety of 2024.

“We are adjusting the fighting methods to each area in Gaza, as well as the necessary forces to carry out the mission in the best way possible,” Hagari said. “Each area has different characteristics and different operational needs.”

Hagari added that as 2024 begins, “The goal of the war requires lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly.”

The Israeli military, according to Hagari, will be carrying out “smart” management of its forces in Gaza, allowing reservists to return home to help boost the economy, and allowing standing army troops to train to become commanders.

“It will result in considerable relief for the economy, and will allow them to gain strength for operations next year, and the fighting will continue and we will need them,” Hagari said.

He said the adjustments are necessary for the IDF to endure the long road ahead.

“The IDF needs to plan ahead, out of the understanding that we will be needed for additional missions and continued fighting during the entire coming year,” Hagari said.

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US Navy sinks 3 Houthi boats attacking merchant ship in Red Sea, US says

US Navy sinks 3 Houthi boats attacking merchant ship in Red Sea, US says
US Navy sinks 3 Houthi boats attacking merchant ship in Red Sea, US says
KeithBinns/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire and and sank three small boats carrying Houthi militants in the Red Sea on Sunday, after U.S. warships responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel, military officials said.

A Maersk container ship, the Singapore-flagged Hangzhou, issued a distress call at about 6:30 a.m. local time, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Sunday. The merchant vessel said four small boats were attacking it.

“The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small-arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel,” Central Command said.

Helicopters from two U.S. ships — the USS Eisenhower and the USS Gravely — responded and issued verbal calls to the small boats, U.S. officials said.

While the helicopters were “in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms,” Central Command said.

Service members aboard the Navy helicopters returned fire and sank three of the four small boats, killing the crews, U.S. officials said. The fourth boat fled the area.

In a statement Sunday, the Houthis said they lost 10 group members after U.S. forces fired on their vessels, referring to the engagement as “dangerous behavior” that will have “negative repercussions.”

The group also said it will continue operating in the Red Sea. “The American enemy bears the consequences of this crime and its repercussions,” the group said, in part.

The group also reiterated that it will “not hesitate to confront any aggression” against Yemen and renewed its “advice to all countries not to be drawn into the American plans aimed at igniting the conflict in the Red Sea.”

The U.S. does not seek to escalate the conflict, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on “Good Morning America” on Sunday.

“We don’t seek a conflict wider in the region and we’re not looking for a conflict with the Houthis,” Kirby told ABC News’ Whit Johnson. “The best outcome here would be for the Houthis to stop these attacks as we have made clear over and over again.”

Sunday’s incident was the second time in 24 hours that the Hangzhou had issued a distress call, U.S. Navy officials said.

The ship had been traveling on Saturday evening about 55 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, when it was hit by an unknown object, a Maersk spokesperson told ABC News.

The 14,000-container vessel continued north afterward, heading toward its destination of Port Suez, Egypt.

“Maersk can also confirm that after the initial attack on the vessel, four boats approached the vessel and engaged fire in an expected attempt to board the vessel,” said Adhish Alawani, a Maersk spokesperson.

Maersk has delayed all transits through the area for the next 48 hours, as the incident is investigated, he said.

Kirby emphasized the importance of the Red Sea shipping corridor and the critical need to keep it safe and open for international commerce.

Asked if a pre-emptive strike is on the table, Kirby said “we’re not ruling anything in or out.”

“We have made it clear publicly to the Houthis and privately to our allies and partners, and we’re going to make the right decisions going forward,” he added.

 

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Russia launches drone assault after accusing Ukraine of deadly attack within Russia

Russia launches drone assault after accusing Ukraine of deadly attack within Russia
Russia launches drone assault after accusing Ukraine of deadly attack within Russia
belterz/Getty Images

(LONDON) — Dozens of Russian drones targeted civilian and military targets in Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said, a day after Russia accused Ukraine of a deadly strike on a Russian border city.

Russia launched at least nine missiles and at least 49 drones before 6 a.m. Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine’s military said it shot down 21 of the drones.

The assault targeted cities, including Kyiv, the capital, hitting administrative and residential buildings, Ukraine said. Four drones struck central Kharkiv, sparking fires that spread over about 1,000 square meters, the country’s State Emergency Service said on social media. No injuries or deaths had been reported, officials said.

The aerial assault followed two days of escalated shelling, including a strike on Saturday in Belgorod, Russia, that killed at least 21 people, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Dashcam video taken by a vehicle driving along a retail strip in Belgorod appeared to show a missile landing within the city, shattering nearby windows and sending pedestrians fleeing.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but Russia blamed Ukraine for that deadly strike, which officials said injured another 111 people.

Russia a day earlier had launched one of its largest overnight aerial assaults on Ukraine since the war began. The attack began at about 11 p.m. on Thursday and lasted for several hours. It included at least 122 missiles and 36 drones, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.

At least 41 people were killed and about 160 were injured, Ukrainian officials said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it’s “never seen so many locations targeted simultaneously.”

ABC News’ Yulia Drozd and Edward Szekeres contributed to this story.

 

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