Briefly

UNITED STATES

Waltz calls leaked Yemen chat 'embarrassing'

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has assumed "full responsibility" for a leaked group chat discussing an upcoming military strike in Yemen. Waltz made the point in an interview with Fox News Channel on Tuesday. "It's embarrassing. We're going to get to the bottom of it," Waltz said. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, wrote on Monday that he was invited on March 11 to join a group chat named "Houthi PC Small Group" on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app used by journalists and government officials. Upon joining, he discovered that several high-ranking officials were discussing plans for a forthcoming strike on the Houthis in Yemen. The incident is widely considered a major national security breach, prompting Democratic lawmakers to demand answers from the White House in numerous letters.

ARMENIA

Lawmakers vote for kicking off EU bid

Armenia's parliament passed a bill Wednesday launching the country's bid for European Union membership. Adopted in final reading with 64 votes in favor — all from lawmakers of the ruling Civil Contract party — and seven opposition members of parliament voting against it, the bill calls on the Armenian government to initiate the process of EU accession. So far, no EU member state has publicly endorsed the idea of Armenia's potential accession to the 27-nation bloc.

FRANCE

3 survive crash of air force acrobatics jets

Three people were "found conscious" after two jets of the French air force's acrobatics team apparently collided near an air base in northeastern France on Tuesday, authorities said. The Alpha Jet planes are thought to have collided near an air base west of Saint-Dizier in northeastern France, the French air and space force told AFP. Three people, two pilots and one passenger ejected and were "found conscious", according to the military. One person suffered multiple injuries, a source told AFP. One of the planes crashed into a silo, sparking a fire. There were no civilian casualties. Defense minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed the accident on his X account.

Xinhua - Agencies