International, Climate & environment
241 storiesTrump says he told South Korea it must pay a price for lower tariffs
US President Donald Trump said on Oct 6 that he told South Korea it must pay a price to have tariffs lowered, and that South Korea recently provided $150 billion, all of it going to shipbuilding. Korean outlets link the remarks to MASGA, th…
Reports say US, China discuss mutual visits to nuclear facilities
US and Chinese officials have reportedly begun informal talks about mutual visits to nuclear facilities, according to CNN, as cited by Sankei Shimbun. The reported aim is to build confidence amid concern over China's rapid nuclear expansion…
South Korea forecasts a cold, windy Oct. 6 with a 15C day-night temperature gap
South Korea's weather agency forecast a chilly, clear Oct. 6 with morning lows of about 3-14°C and a day-night temperature gap of roughly 15°C in most regions. Gangwon's inland and mountain areas were expected near or below 5°C, with winds …
Supreme Court hears Boulder climate suit as justices question both sides
The Supreme Court heard nearly two hours of arguments Monday on whether the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, can sue Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy in state court to recover costs tied to climate change. Conservative justices questioned…
Trump repeats Alaska LNG charge threat as Vance says Korea details unresolved
US President Donald Trump said on 2 October that if South Korea does not invest in the Alaska LNG project, Washington can charge it more, and Seoul should be told the amount will double if it does not agree soon. Korean outlets reported tha…
Trump says US still working on Ukraine settlement, end is approaching
US President Donald Trump said Washington is continuing work on settling the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that a conclusion “really is approaching”, speaking at an event in the state of Maryland. TASS reported he acknowledged he had expected…
Trump says a phone call with Putin is planned “very soon”
US President Donald Trump said a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned and will take place “very soon”. Trump gave no date or agenda. Russian outlets carried the announcement without reporting any Kremlin comment o…
Ukraine criticizes South Korea over reported diesel shipments to Russia
Ukraine's presidential office sanctions adviser, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, publicly criticized South Korea over a Guardian report that seven tankers carried more than 176,000 tonnes of petroleum products, mostly diesel, from South Korean ports to …
Rubio, in Iceland, calls island central to North Atlantic security
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Icelandic officials in Reykjavik, saying Iceland's location plays a critical role in the defense of Europe and the U.S. homeland and that Washington is open to talks on closer cooperation. The stop op…
US urges Russia to disclose details of suspected plague pathogen leak at Irkutsk lab
The Trump administration has called on Russia to release more information about a suspected plague pathogen leak at a research institute in Irkutsk, saying it cannot decide its response without the facts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio s…
North Korea threatens ‘immediate’ response to South’s DMZ mine-clearing
North Korea’s foreign ministry said on Oct. 6 that if South Korea violates its territory “by even 1 mm,” its border forces will take “immediate and strong” response actions, after the South Korean military carried out a mine-clearing operat…
Earliest cold wave advisory issued for Gangwon's Taebaek, Pyeongchang mountains
South Korea's Korea Meteorological Administration issued a cold wave advisory for the mountain areas of Taebaek and Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province, effective at 9 p.m. on Oct. 5. Yonhap and the Dong-A Ilbo described it as the earliest cold…
Matviyenko says a stable and calm Europe is better for Russia
Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, said the European Union is sliding towards becoming a military bloc and that Europeans are protesting out of desperation. She said Russia would be better off with a stable, calm …
Korea forecasts clear, chilly weather with 15-degree day-night temperature swing
South Korea's official forecast and local outlets predicted mostly clear skies for Tuesday, Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 7, with cold mornings and a day-night temperature difference of about 15 degrees Celsius. Tuesday's forecast included mor…
Kim Jong Un congratulates Putin on his 74th birthday
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a telegram to Vladimir Putin congratulating him on his 74th birthday on October 7. Kim praised Russia's strengthened status under Putin and emphasised the comprehensive strategic partnership between thei…
North Korea's Kim sends Putin birthday message, reaffirms alliance
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his birthday on Oct. 7, calling him “my closest friend” and reaffirming the alliance between the two countries. Kim said valuing the compr…
Russia says it is weighing countermeasures over Japan's new sanctions
Russia's Foreign Ministry criticised Japan's additional sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine as “unfriendly” and “ill-considered,” and said it is considering countermeasures. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on October 5 that Russia would…
Takaichi video message marks 50 years of Japan-Australia ties at Chiba conference
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae sent a video message on 5 October to the Japan-Australia Economic Conference at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, held to mark 50 years since the two countries' 1976 friendship and cooperation treaty. She pointed t…
New Yalu River bridge stays shut as Oct. 6 opening speculation passes
A four-lane bridge between Dandong in China and Sinuiju in North Korea, completed in 2014 but never opened, drew attention around a possible opening ceremony on Oct. 6, the 77th anniversary of North Korea-China diplomatic ties. No ceremony …
Lavrov arrives in Turkmenistan for CIS foreign ministers meeting
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Turkmenistan on 6 October to take part in a meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers, according to RIA Novosti, TASS and Interfax. Interfax reported the ministerial meeting is schedul…