World
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Wonsan That Flew More Than 700 km, Seoul Says, a Day After Pyongyang Rejected Apology Demand Over DMZ Mine Blast
South Korea's military says the missile flew more than 700 km, and Japan puts it at about 680 km. The launch came a day after Kim Yo Jong called Seoul "despicable" for demanding an apology over a Sept. 21 mine blast that wounded three South Korean soldiers.
Taiwan Receives First Two of 66 F-16V Fighter Jets Ordered From the U.S. in 2019
The two jets landed in Taitung on Oct. 2. They came about a month later than expected, after waiting in Hawaii while President Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping. A separate $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan is still under review.
Israeli Army Says It Destroyed Eight Tunnel Routes and More Than 600 Hezbollah Sites in South Lebanon's Mansouri
The Sept. 28 blast was heard in Tyre. It came as U.S.-brokered talks stall over who moves first: Hezbollah giving up its weapons, or Israel pulling back from the roughly 6% of Lebanon it still holds, down from almost a fifth of the country last spring.
Putin Rejects Proposed Truce on Long-Range Energy Strikes a Day After Russian Attack Forced Emergency Power Cuts in Kyiv
Speaking at the Valdai forum in Moscow on Oct. 1, Putin called a Ukrainian offer to trade a halt to refinery strikes for a halt to Russian energy strikes "simply ridiculous"; Zelenskyy then approved new long-range operations for October.
Burhan Adviser Says U.S. 90-Day Sudan Truce Plan Risks 'Libya-Style' Partition, Seeks Monitored RSF Pullout From Cities
Sudan's army-led government has not accepted a U.S. truce proposal pushed by envoy Massad Boulos. One adviser calls this 'technical comments,' not a rejection. Gen. al-Burhan has publicly refused U.S. 'conditions,' and fighting goes on around El Obeid in Kordofan.
U.S. Officials Tell Reuters a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Is Unlikely Before 2028, Citing Military Purges and Taiwan's Election
The sources — two current U.S. officials, a former official, and a person familiar with the matter — were not named. They said Beijing's 2027 military-readiness goal is unlikely to lead to an invasion next year, but warned that risk could rise after Taiwan's 2028 presidential vote. The report came as China's revised defense mobilization law took effect and a $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan remained on hold.
China's Revised National Defense Mobilization Law Takes Effect Oct. 1, Its First Overhaul Since 2010
The 82-article law covers reservists, strategic stockpiles, data, and the taking of civilian property with compensation. Beijing calls it defensive. A Taiwanese official and several U.S. analysts link it to a possible war over Taiwan.
South Korea Says North Korean Mines That Wounded 3 Soldiers Were Buried South of the Border Line; North Korea Denies Crossing
Seoul's defense minister told lawmakers on Sept. 29 that the mines behind the Sept. 21 DMZ blast were planted, not washed in, and broke the 1953 armistice. Whether North Korea meant to plant them on the South's side is still unsettled, and Kim Yo Jong says her country's troops never crossed.
Zelensky Says North Korea Is Preparing 10,000 More Troops for Russia; Putin Raises Army's Authorized Size by 15,500
Ukraine's president cited new intelligence on North Korean troops a day after Putin's fourth decree this year enlarging Russia's military, while the Kremlin maintains that volunteers and contract soldiers are meeting its needs.
Danish Intelligence Sees 'Low but Growing Risk' of a Limited Russian Attack on a NATO Neighbor in Coming Months
Denmark's Defence Intelligence Service said on Sept. 24 that Russia will step up sabotage and cyberattacks and could make a small military move against a NATO country on its border. The agency also said a full invasion remains highly unlikely, and Moscow rejected the assessment.
Congo Fighting With Rwanda-Backed M23 Continues as Doha Talks Stall; M23-Aligned Accounts Claim Tanzanian and Angolan Troop Deployments
Pro-M23 social media accounts said in early September that Tanzania and Angola had sent troops into Congo. No confirmation from either government turned up in this review, and only two of eight Doha peace protocols have been signed.