International, Consumer, Disasters & accidents, Technology
473 storiesSouth Korea: North Korean mines south of MDL breached armistice, minefield cleared
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that a Sept. 21 landmine explosion on the western DMZ was caused by a North Korean mine placed about 10 metres south of the Military Demarcation Line, an armistice violation, and the military re…
Lavrov takes part in CIS foreign ministers' council meeting in Turkmenistan
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is taking part in a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS countries on 7 October. The meeting is being held in Avaza, a centre on the Caspian Sea coast near the city of Turkmenbashi in…
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…
Typhoon No. 27 moves north near Ogasawara as typhoons 28 and 29 form
Typhoon No. 27, described by the Japan Meteorological Agency as large and very strong, moved north over waters near the Ogasawara Islands and was forecast to approach the islands at very strong intensity from the evening of Oct. 5 to early …
Russia says no current plans for Russia-US-Ukraine trilateral meeting
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there are currently no plans for a trilateral meeting between Russia, the United States and Ukraine, adding that further steps do not depend on Moscow. Ryabkov said no pause had occurred i…
Apple and LG co-develop smart home devices including doorbell, lock and thermostat
Bloomberg reports that Apple and LG have co-developed a line of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, indoor and outdoor security cameras and a floodlight camera. The products are expected to carry…
Tropical Storm Isaias forms off Mexico, forecast to hit US Gulf Coast as hurricane
Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday in warm waters off eastern Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and the National Hurricane Center said it is expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season befor…
Three typhoons active near Japan as Typhoon 27 moves north, JMA says
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on Oct. 5 that Typhoon 28 (Nolo) and Typhoon 29 (Koguma) had formed, making three active typhoons near Japan with Typhoon 27 (Choi-wan). Typhoon 27 was large and very strong, moving north-northwest …
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 …
Japan farm ministry orders Fukui seafood firm over mislabeled Echizen crab gifts
Japan's agriculture ministry issued a measures order on Oct 6 against Fukumaru Foods, a seafood processor in Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture, for labeling products as Echizen crab while using mizugani, a crab not counted as Echizen crab. The…
EU ambassadors agree 22nd sanctions package targeting over 1,500 Russian entities
EU ambassadors agreed on a 22nd sanctions package against Russia that adds more than 1,500 individuals and legal entities to the bloc's lists, according to European media cited by Interfax and TASS. Interfax said the bulk of the measures ta…
Japan protests China spokesperson's untitled mention of PM Takaichi
Japan's Foreign Ministry said it lodged a representation with China after a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson referred to Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae by name without her title at a press conference in late September. Foreign Ministry …
Apple and LG Electronics jointly develop smart home devices under LG brand
Apple and LG Electronics are jointly developing smart home devices — a camera-equipped video doorbell, a smart door lock, a security camera and a smart temperature sensor and thermostat — to be sold under the LG brand, according to Bloomber…
India proposes three-point ceasefire plan for Russia-Ukraine, Hindustan Times reports
India has proposed a three-point ceasefire plan between Russia and Ukraine, according to Hindustan Times, as relayed by Russian outlets. The plan calls for an end to strikes on energy facilities and other infrastructure, an end to attacks o…
Kremlin says Putin-Trump phone call not yet arranged, would be set up quickly
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a new telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has not yet been substantively arranged, but that it would be agreed promptly if Washington takes the initiative. Peskov was commentin…
Kremlin says Europe obsessed with militarising EU, Russia ‘on guard’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe is obsessed with the idea of militarising the EU and turning it from an economic union into a military bloc, calling that path a dead end. He said Russia is ‘on guard’ and is monitoring those plan…
US presses Russia to disclose details of suspected plague pathogen leak at Irkutsk lab
The Trump administration is urging Russia to release more information about a suspected plague pathogen leak at a research institute in Irkutsk, saying it cannot set its response level without the facts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sa…
Fire at Ustuu-Khuree Buddhist monastery complex in Tuva put out; no injuries
A fire broke out on 7 October at the Ustuu-Khuree Buddhist monastery complex in Tuva, about 5 km from the town of Chadan. Emergency services localized the blaze and later extinguished it; the MChS reported an area of 468 sq m, while earlier…
Tanker catches fire in Black Sea near Sochi; Sirius beaches closed
A tanker caught fire in the Black Sea near Sochi, according to Russian state and business outlets. The head of the Sirius federal territory administration, Dmitry Plishkin, said its beaches would be temporarily closed and that water and air…
Kremlin says Russia has not been asked to mediate between Houthis and Saudi Arabia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no one has asked Russia to act as a mediator in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. He said the situation is “extremely alarming” and that Moscow is watching developments in the Persian Gu…