From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting.

U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns. Flynn quit following widespread reports that he had misled administration officials about contacts with Russia.

The retired army general acknowledged late Monday that he had, in his words, "inadvertently briefed" Vice President Mike Pence and others with "incomplete information."

U.S. lawmakers of both political parties say they approve of Flynn's resignation as we hear from Michael Bowman.

Republican Senator John McCain says Michael Flynn had to go after failing to inform Vice President Mike Pence that the issue of sanctions had arisen in a conversation with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

"Off course, that was a decision that was certainly warranted. The vice president was misinformed."

U.S. law bars unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.

Michael Bowman, the Capitol.

U.S. Federal Judge James Robart says the case challenging President Trump's temporary travel ban from seven countries will move forward.

The Justice Department Monday asked him to put the case on hold until the 9th Circuit Court makes a decision on the overall legality of the order.

Robart is the judge who ruled earlier this month that people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan can enter the country if they have visas. He also said the nation's refugee admissions program can continue until the courts decide the issue.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers will focus on the need of members to increase the amount of money they spend on defense.

He told reporters in Brussels that countries boosted defense spending by $10 billion last year.

This is VOA news.

The New York Times newspaper reports that Russia has secretly deployed a ground-launched cruise missile. That may be in violation of a 1987 U.S.-Russia arms control treaty.

The State Department would not directly comment on the report, but indicated concern over violations of another arms treaty.

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics has released a letter saying the White House should investigate the public endorsement given by presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway to products produced by the president's daughter.

Conway made the endorsement after a major retail store announced it was pulling Ivanka Trump's clothing line from its shelves.

The endorsement by the high official is seen as a violation of government standards of conduct.

Turkish security forces said Tuesday they arrested a French citizen of Turkish origin who is allegedly one of the planners of a New Year's Day nightclub bombing in Istanbul.

Prosecutors identified the 22-year-old man by the initials A.S. and said he was arrested in Istanbul on February 12. Nine other suspects are also in custody, all linked to the Islamic State group.

According to South Korean and Malaysian officials, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was killed Monday in Malaysia.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Kim was killed by two unidentified North Korean female agents. The report says the agents stabbed Kim at Kuala Lumpur International Airport with poisoned needles. They then hailed a cab and fled the scene.

North Korea expert Aidan Foster-Carter says such actions by North Korean operatives are not unknown. "Way back in the neighboring South Asian countries 30 years ago, it was then Burma, now Myanmar, the North Koreans tried to blow up the visiting South Korean president. They failed but blew up a lot of other people. And those guys were caught and one of them did speak so in a way we may yet learn more in the next ???"

Kim Jong Nam was once considered the heir apparent to lead North Korea but he fell out of favor with his father, Kim Jong Il, after a failed attempt to visit the Japan Disney Land. Since then, he has lived in virtual exile.

The head of the U.S. central bank says the economy is improving enough to consider raising interest rates during the next few months.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen told a congressional committee Tuesday that she expects the economy to continue its modest expansion.

She warned that waiting too long to raise rates could allow inflation to spike and force the Fed to raise rates abruptly in the future, damaging economic growth.

Taking a brief look at market activities, on Wall Street, U.S. stock indexes up at the close of trade today. European markets were mixed.

From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.