International, Economy
278 storiesEgypt's Sisi to make state visit to South Korea Oct 7-9, summit with Lee on Oct 8
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will make a state visit to South Korea from Oct 7 to 9 at President Lee Jae-myung's invitation, the Blue House said in a written briefing on Tuesday. The two leaders will hold a summit on Oct 8, prece…
Trump 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…
US Secretary of State Rubio visits Iceland to discuss Arctic security and trade
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Iceland on 5 October and met Icelandic government officials in Reykjavik to discuss economic and security cooperation. Rubio said he came to advance shared priorities including a safe Arctic, strong…
Japan August real wages rise 1.5% year on year, eighth straight monthly gain
Japan's real wages rose 1.5% in August from a year earlier, the eighth consecutive monthly increase and the first streak of that length in about 10 years, the health ministry's preliminary monthly labour survey showed. Nominal total cash ea…
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 …
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…
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…
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…
US August trade deficit rises 13.7% to $105.6bn, largest since March 2025
The US goods and services trade deficit widened 13.7% in August from the previous month to $105.6bn, the largest gap since March 2025 and above the $102bn Dow Jones consensus, according to the Commerce Department. Imports reached a record $…
Hong Kong again rated world's freest economy by Fraser Institute
Canada's Fraser Institute released its Economic Freedom of the World 2026 report on October 6, rating Hong Kong again as the world's freest economy. Among five assessment categories, Hong Kong kept first place in freedom of international tr…
US August trade deficit widens 13.7% to $105.6 billion, second straight monthly increase
The US trade deficit in goods and services rose 13.7% in August from the previous month to $105.6 billion, the second consecutive monthly expansion, the US Commerce Department said. Exports increased 1.4% to $315.2 billion and imports rose …
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 …
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…
US August trade deficit widens to $105.6bn, highest since March 2025
The US goods and services trade deficit rose to $105.6 billion in August, the Commerce Department said, above the $102.0 billion expected and the highest level since March 2025. Imports grew 4.3% on the month to $420.8 billion, while export…
UAE-EAEU economic partnership agreement enters into force
The Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the Eurasian Economic Union entered into force on Tuesday, covering Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. The two sides will grant preferential access across more than 86…