WorldNorth Korea fired ballistic missiles to warn South Korea as Seoul called for talks to ease tensions along the border. The launches and a dispute over a landmine incident have heightened tensions. South Korea is seeking military talks to prevent accidental clashes; Pyongyang has not responded.
WorldNorth Korea plans to restart propaganda broadcasts along its border with South Korea. Pyongyang says loudspeakers will be switched on by the end of the month and warns of retaliation as regional tensions rise.
WorldNorth Korea says it test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles to bolster its nuclear deterrent and naval capabilities. The tests come as regional tensions rise and Kim Jong Un presses to expand the country’s nuclear-capable arsenal.
The Associated Press
WorldSouth Korea’s military said North Korea launched several ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. South Korea’s National Security Office then held an emergency security meeting to review the country’s military readiness.
Politics2:19People living around the Korean Demilitarized Zone worry the standoff could worsen. Seoul is asking Pyongyang to clear mines from the North Korean side of the border and apologize for last month’s explosions, which left South Korean soldiers injured.
WorldSeoul says it is considering ways to compel Pyongyang to apologize after a mine blast and is calling for the mines to be removed. The programme also reports that South Korea’s president ordered a sweeping investigation into hackers potentially using AI to target banks.
WorldSouth Korea’s military has officially concluded that North Korea planted the mines that exploded in the Demilitarized Zone last month, injuring three South Korean soldiers. Seoul considers the incident a violation of the Korean War armistice and is demanding an apology from Pyongyang.
WorldSouth Korea says North Korea deliberately planted the mines that caused blasts in the DMZ and injured three South Korean soldiers. The programme also covers Takaichi’s pledge to cut taxes without adding debt, and US accusations that a California woman spied for China on Taiwan’s president’s son.
PoliticsSouth Korea’s president calls for trust to be rebuilt with North Korea and vows to reduce military tensions while strengthening the country’s military. The programme also covers Donald Trump’s South Korean investment plans and Japan’s tighter permanent-residency rules for foreigners.
WorldNorth Korea has rejected accusations that it planted mines in the Demilitarized Zone, injuring three South Korean soldiers on September 21. Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned in a statement that the North would retaliate against the South if tensions escalated.
World1:59Tensions are mounting along the heavily fortified Korean border after suspected North Korean landmines injured three South Korean soldiers last week. Seoul and the UN Command say both blasts were caused by mines planted by Pyongyang, but North Korea rejects the claim. Kim Yo Jong called the findings a “conspiratorial farce” and warned of retaliation if South Korean forces fire on troops doing fortification work.
PoliticsU.S. President Donald Trump played down concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal at a Washington briefing, calling Kim Jong Un “a friend.” The remarks came despite South Korean estimates that Pyongyang possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads.
Reuters
WorldSouth Korea says North Korea’s explosions of landmines in the Demilitarized Zone violate the armistice agreement.
WorldSouth Korea says the United States should consider lifting sanctions if North Korea agrees to freeze its nuclear weapons programme. The proposal comes as Pyongyang promotes new hypersonic weapons, while China tightens export controls on two drug-making chemicals ahead of a Xi-Trump summit.
WorldNorth Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, South Korea’s military said. One flew about 450 km and the other more than 600 km. Seoul convened an emergency meeting, while Japan’s defence ministry had not confirmed the launches.
PoliticsSouth Korea’s president has urged Donald Trump to pursue dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump said in August that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year and again promoted their relationship, but Pyongyang has offered little response.
WorldNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un commissioned the country’s second naval destroyer and called for a more dependable nuclear deterrent, state media reported Monday. The move came as the United States, South Korea and Japan held a trilateral military exercise that Kim regards as a security threat.
The Associated Press
PoliticsTrump said he and Xi Jinping would hold “good, productive” talks during Xi’s visit on September 24. Trump also expressed hope of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a peace agreement. Treasury Secretary Bessent said G20 members backed the US position on non-market policies and global trade imbalances, with China the sole objector, while a White House official described US-China discussions at an AI-focused G20 innovation ministers’ meeting as “great.”
VOA Chinese
PoliticsJoint military drills between the United States and South Korea have been cut in half after President Donald Trump called for a reduction, citing his close relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A Pentagon official said Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield was substantially reduced while training to improve tactical capability continued.
CNN
PoliticsVOA Today’s Focus highlights Donald Trump’s release of multiple photos with Kim Jong Un and asks whether they signal a possible meeting. It also reports a U.S. “economic D-Day” sanctions list targeting Iran, including several Chinese and Hong Kong companies, while a White House fact sheet criticizes Chinese and Canadian retaliatory trade measures. Trump says Iran cannot pay soldiers and faces an unprecedented “humanitarian crisis”; Hegseth is pushing to expand U.S. defense production and ammunition reserves.
VOA Chinese
WorldUS-South Korea joint military exercises were unusually scaled back last week as President Donald Trump signalled plans for a fourth summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. With the US mired in the Iran war and midterm elections approaching, the meeting is drawing renewed attention as a geopolitical contest shaped by great-power rivalry and US-North Korean psychological warfare.
PoliticsRetired U.S. Navy Capt. Brent Sadler discusses President Donald Trump’s strategy toward Iran as economic pressure mounts in the Middle East, and assesses the possibility of Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Fox News
WorldThe US and South Korea sharply reduced their annual military exercises after President Donald Trump ordered them scaled back, surprising Seoul. The move comes as North Korea expands its nuclear and missile capabilities and strengthens military ties with Russia, while the US shifts an aircraft carrier and other resources away from the Indo-Pacific.
Bloomberg Television
WorldAfter months of strikes failed to shift Iran’s leadership, US President Donald Trump appears to be reconsidering how he handles his most difficult adversaries and turning his attention back to North Korea. The move raises questions about a shift from force to dealmaking and whether he may abandon the goal of full North Korean disarmament. A renewed peace deal still appears unlikely.