AI, Science, Policy & regulation, War & conflict
619 storiesDefense ministry to pursue cut, abolition of alternative service for arts, sports
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Oct 6 that it plans to ultimately pursue a reduction and abolition of supplementary military service, including arts and sports personnel, and to reflect it in the defense reform basic plan. Spokespers…
Houthis claim missile and drone strike on Aramco targets in Riyadh
Yemen's Houthi armed forces said they used ballistic missiles and drones to strike Saudi Aramco targets in Riyadh on the evening of 3 October, in response to Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa and other parts of Yemen. The statement said the operati…
Nobel physics prize goes to IceCube neutrino researcher Francis Halzen
Sweden's Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on 6 October that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery…
Explosions hit Kyiv-controlled Zaporizhzhia; bridge over Dnipro damaged
Explosions were heard in Zaporizhzhia, the city TASS describes as under Kyiv's control. TASS reported that an explosion damaged a bridge over the Dnipro and that traffic across it was temporarily halted. RIA Novosti reported only that explo…
Houthis claim missile and drone strikes on two Saudi Aramco sites
Yemen's Houthis said they struck Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and in the Khurais area with ballistic missiles and drones, with spokesman Yahya Saree saying both operations were successful and caused large fires. Kommersant reported tha…
Nuri rocket erected on launch pad ahead of fifth flight on Oct 7
South Korea's Nuri rocket moved from its assembly building to the second launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung on the morning of Oct 6 and was erected and fixed in place at 10:35, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration and…
Netherlands proposes civilian reserve of 150,000 for emergencies
The Netherlands has proposed creating a civilian reserve for crises, with RTL reporting a target of 150,000 reservists for emergency situations, according to TASS. The reported roles include drivers, security guards and mechanics. RBC repor…
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded to Three Optogenetics Pioneers
Sweden's Karolinska Institutet said on Oct 5 local time that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University, Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University Berlin and Georg Nagel of the University of Wü…
Nuri rocket erected on pad; Oct. 7 launch to carry 15 satellites, most yet
South Korea's Nuri rocket was moved to the launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung on Oct. 6 and erected upright, with the space agency and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute saying the work was completed at 10:35 a.m. The launch…
Trump signs order allowing tax-free red-dyed diesel on highways
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily allowing off-road red-dyed diesel to be used for highway driving and deferring the federal excise tax on that fuel through the end of 2026 without interest or penalties.…
Pentagon withdraws all bombers from UK's RAF Fairford after suspected terror plot
The Pentagon said all U.S. bombers deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford in England have returned to their home stations in the United States, after a suspected terror plot against the base; the New York Times reported the withdrawal followe…
Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Houthi missile aimed at Khamis Mushait
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile that Yemen's Houthis fired toward Khamis Mushait, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said Houthi-held Sanaa and the province…
South Korea military blames North Korean DMZ mines for injuries, clears site
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that its final investigation concluded a mine explosion on the western front DMZ that injured soldiers was caused by North Korean mines laid south of the Military Demarcation Line. The milit…
Yemeni government announces “liberation war” offensive against Houthi forces
Yemen's government announced on October 4 the launch of a military operation against the Houthi movement, with army spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili calling it a “liberation war” to recover all national territory and offering pardons to Houthi fi…
Asian Games gold row widens as parties in South Korea seek exemption review
South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, a result that exempts most of the squad from military service. A locker-room photo of Park Seung-su in a discharge hat, captain Lee Ki-hyuk…
Nobel physics prize goes to Francis Halzen for Antarctic neutrino observatory
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics to Francis Halzen, a Belgian-born professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, for building the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica and discovering hi…
Russian Defense Ministry says troops took Samoilovka in Zaporizhzhia region
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday that units of the “Vostok” group of forces took control of the village of Samoilovka in the Zaporizhzhia region. The ministry said the capture expands the group's capabilities and creates a bridgehea…
Yemen government forces say they secured Bab el-Mandeb after Houthi counteroffensive
Yemen's government forces said on Oct 5 that they had secured the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a day after Rashad al-Alimi declared the start of a military operation to retake territory held by the Iran-aligned Houthis. Government forces said they…
South Korea's Lee orders CPTPP talks restarted from the beginning amid farm concerns
President Lee Jae-myung instructed at a cabinet meeting on Oct 6 that the government should not fix a conclusion on joining the CPTPP and should “restart dialogue from the beginning,” saying the pact's strategic value is cited alongside ver…
Houthis claim missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports, Aramco refinery
Houthi representatives said the group carried out missile and drone strikes on airports, oil facilities and military bases in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The claim, made by Houthi representative Yahy…