Briefly

SOUTH KOREA

Seoul to offer visa-free entry to Chinese tourists

South Korea will offer visa-free entry to tourist groups from China for a temporary period, from Sept 29 through June 2026 to boost foreign tourism, the government said on Wednesday. The visa-free offer comes amid expectations that ties between the two countries will improve under the new South Korean administration of liberal President Lee Jae-myung.

ROMANIA

Former president Ion Iliescu dies at 95

Former Romanian president Ion Iliescu died on Tuesday at the age of 95, the Romanian government has announced. Iliescu had been receiving treatment in a hospital since June after being diagnosed with lung cancer, and his condition had worsened in recent days, according to public medical reports. Iliescu served as president from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004.The Romanian government expressed deep regret and offered condolences.

IRAN

Tehran executes Mossad spy, IS member

Iran on Wednesday executed two men, one on the conviction of spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and the other, a member of the Islamic State, for acting against the country's national security. The Mossad spy, identified as Rouzbeh Vadi, and the IS "terrorist," named Mehdi Asgharzadeh, were hanged following legal and judicial proceedings and the upholding of their death sentences by the Supreme Court of Iran, Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported. According to the report, Vadi had been working in one of the country's "important and sensitive "organizations with a level of access "appealing" to Mossad.

Agencies - Xinhua