US President Donald Trump strongly condemned the shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, late Wednesday night (US time), calling it an act of anti-Semitism.

The victims -- a male and a female employee of the Israeli Embassy -- were gunned down by an unidentified assailant as they exited the museum, according to the US Homeland Security.

Authorities confirmed the deaths and launched a multi-agency investigation into what officials are treating as a hate crime motivated by anti-Semitism.

"These horrible DC killings, based obviously on anti-semitism, must end, now! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You all!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

South Korea's space agency has launched a dedicated task force to explore participation in future Mars missions through cooperation with the US, the head of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said.

The comments were made at a press briefing marking the agency's first anniversary held in Sacheon, 290 kilometers south of Seoul, where the agency is headquartered, news agency reported.

"The US budget for space exploration is increasingly focused on Mars, with concrete plans to send humans and establish a presence there. In Korea, we have only recently begun to consider what actions we should take at this point," KASA Administrator Yoon Young-bin said.

"We have recently launched a task force," Young-bin added.

"We need to devise exploration plans that are not only scientific but also economically viable so that private companies can play a more ambitious role," added Yoon.

Two Israeli Embassy staff were shot dead near the Jewish Museum in Washington, as confirmed by US Homeland Security.

A male and a female employee of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot by an unknown assailant as they exited the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night (US time).

"Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice," US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X.

The South Korean consortium has a competitive advantage in technology transfer over its Chinese rival as it vies to win the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) high-speed railway project, estimated to cost $13.6 billion, Seoul's transport minister said.

Transport Minister Park Sang-woo said that the Korean consortium, consisting of the Korea National Railway, Korea Railroad Corp., Hyundai Rotem Co. and POSCO E&C Co., has passed the pre-qualification procedure to enter the official bid for the Middle Eastern country's railway project.

Park was in the eastern German city of Leipzig to attend the three-day International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit.

"Our primary focus is on technology transfer on top of product quality, while China appears to focus on the price dimension," Park told News Agency.

Israel's military said it carried out a drone strike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, killing a Hezbollah operative involved in the group's weapons development programme.

The man, identified as Hussein Nazih Barji, was struck while travelling in a vehicle in the Tyre area, according to a military statement accompanied by surveillance footage.

Barji was described as "a central figure" in a directorate of Hezbollah that oversees the development, manufacture, and maintenance of weapons, including precision missiles, and works to expand the group's supply capabilities,news agency reported. The military said Barji was "a veteran engineer responsible for building infrastructure for the production of precision surface-to-surface missiles." His killing was intended to "disrupt Hezbollah's recovery efforts," it added.

Almost 50,000 people have been isolated by rising floodwaters in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said on Wednesday afternoon that over 48,800 people and 23,200 dwellings have been cut off by flooding in the state's Mid North Coast region, over 200 km northeast of Sydney.

The Mid North Coast and surrounding regions have experienced four consecutive days of heavy rainfall, causing widespread record-breaking flooding.

Displaced residents of Russia's Kursk region will be able to return home safely despite ongoing challenges, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said during his visit to the region.

The President assured that citizens that have been temporarily displaced following Ukraine's incursion into the region would return home, noting that it is important to ensure security by demining populated areas, local media reported Wednesday, citing the Russian leader during a meeting with local officials.

A 2023 Australian army helicopter crash that killed four soldiers was caused by the pilot becoming disoriented, an investigation has found.

The Department of Defence on Wednesday publicly released the aviation safety investigation report into the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crash in July 2023. All four soldiers on board, including pilot Danniel Lyon and co-pilot Maxwell Nugent, were killed when the helicopter crashed into the ocean off Australia's east coast during a late-night defence training exercise in July 2023.

The 228-page report found that the primary cause of the accident was Lyon suffering from an unrecognised loss of spatial orientation.

"This refers to a situation where a pilot is unaware of their actual orientation in relation to the earth's surface and the surrounding environment," the Department of Defence said in a statement. The helicopter with the callsign "Bushman 83" was third in a formation of four MRH-90s that were conducting various manoeuvres during the exercise.

Thousands of people have been isolated amid record-breaking flooding on the east coast Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

Heavy rainfall on Wednesday continued for a fourth consecutive day in regions over 100 km north of Sydney, exacerbating widespread flash flooding.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said that it responded to 887 calls for assistance, including 118 flood rescues, in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.

Around 16,000 people or 7,400 dwellings in the worst-affected areas could expect to be isolated for at least a day, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) quoted SES spokesperson Andrew Edmunds as saying on Wednesday morning.

SES was aware of 52 people trapped on tables, verandahs and their roofs, he added.

One person died and several others were injured after police resorted to a baton charge and reportedly opened fire to disperse anti-canal demonstrators in Pakistan's Sindh province, local media reported.

The unrest erupted in the city of Moro, in Sindh's Naushahro Feroze district, where protesters, demonstrating against the construction of proposed canals over the Indus River, had blocked the motorway bypass road.

Police, attempting to restore traffic, prompted the use of force. As the situation escalated, reports of gunfire added to the chaos, according to local media.

Amid the crackdown, a planned roundtable conference by the Sindhi nationalist organisation Sindh Sabha was thwarted following a heavy deployment of security forces and road blockades near the Hyderabad Press Club, as reported.