Science, War & conflict, International
560 storiesNobel 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…
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…
Russian state agencies report explosions in Dnepropetrovsk, air alert in region
TASS reported an explosion in Dnepropetrovsk on 4 October and an air raid alert across Dnepropetrovsk region. A day later, on 5 October, both RIA Novosti and TASS reported that explosions had occurred in the city, with TASS saying the air r…
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agree to activate collective defence against Houthis
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia decided at an emergency meeting in Riyadh on 5 October to activate collective defence measures under a pact they signed in August, confirming they would deploy their forces inside Saudi territory. The three…
NASA seeks contractors for a lunar reactor ready to launch by December 2030
NASA has asked contractors to prepare a nuclear reactor able to operate near the lunar south pole and be ready for launch by December 2030, according to a New York Times report cited by Korean outlets. The agency moved ahead of Chinese and …
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…
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…
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 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…
2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded for optogenetics
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, the Nobel Foundation announced on October 5. The technique l…
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…
Russian military reports destroying Ukrainian drone control point near Kramatorsk
Russian state outlets reported that Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian drone control point on the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk axis, with TASS saying a Ukrainian vehicle was also hit. RIA Novosti attributed the strike near Kramatorsk to the “Sout…
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…
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 …
Turkey, Pakistan to send forces to Saudi Arabia as Houthi strikes widen
Turkey and Pakistan said they will provide agreed military forces and take steps to deploy them rapidly to Saudi Arabia, after an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 5, in the first activation of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed on …
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…
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…
Nobel medicine prize awarded to three scientists for optogenetics
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries concerning light-sensitive ion channels and optogenetics, the Nobel Committee announced in Stockholm. The three sh…
Nobel Prize in physics awarded to Francis Halzen for neutrino discovery
The 2026 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Francis Halzen for his work on the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in Stockholm. Halz…
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…