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Travelers heading to South Korea should take note: starting October 1, a large-scale, indefinite strike has begun at 15 airports across the country. The strike may continue through the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. The labor union behind the strike includes 15,000 workers responsible for runway and terminal maintenance, and the action is expected to disrupt airport operations.

The nationwide airport workers’ union in South Korea launched the strike to demand improved scheduling systems and an end to unequal treatment of subcontracted employees. Workers at all 15 airports — including Incheon and Gimpo — began a full-scale, indefinite strike at 6 a.m. on October 1 and will continue until their demands are met.

Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation stated that they will work with subsidiaries and partner organizations to minimize inconvenience to passengers. Incheon Airport Corporation also urged workers to suspend the strike, emphasizing that preparations are underway for the upcoming APEC summit in just a month, and that ensuring national safety and public convenience should be the top priority during this critical time.

Reuters reports that the United Nations (UN) reimposed sanctions on Iran on the 27th after last-ditch negotiations between Iran and the UK, France, and Germany failed to resolve the deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear program.

After months of stalled talks, negotiations between Iran and major world powers have officially collapsed. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York and unanimously passed a resolution to reimpose partial economic sanctions on Iran effective immediately, in response to Tehran’s continued expansion of its nuclear program. The move has heightened global concerns over Middle East stability and caused renewed turbulence in energy markets.

According to the Security Council's statement, Iran has gradually exceeded the uranium enrichment purity and storage limits set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) over the past year and has refused full inspection requests from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Despite multiple mediation efforts by the EU, including phased de-escalation proposals, Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is for “peaceful purposes” and refused to make further concessions. One negotiator stated, “We will not accept any conditions that compromise Iran’s sovereignty.”

The resolution was backed by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of non-permanent members. Sanctions include restrictions on Iran’s oil exports, the freezing of certain overseas financial assets, and bans on the import of military and high-tech equipment. The U.S. State Department stated afterward that Washington remains open to diplomacy if Iran returns to the negotiating table, but warned that if Tehran continues to advance its nuclear program, additional unilateral sanctions could follow.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the Security Council’s decision as “unfair and politically motivated,” stressing that Iran will not abandon nuclear development due to external pressure. The statement added that Iran is prepared to face economic blockades and will strengthen trade and economic cooperation with friendly nations such as Russia and China to counter Western sanctions.

International analysts believe the collapse of the talks will further escalate tensions in the Middle East. As one of the world’s key oil exporters, Iran’s sanctions could lead to reduced crude supply, and global oil prices surged immediately after the resolution was announced. Several European countries expressed concern, warning that uncertainty in energy markets could intensify inflationary pressures and hamper global economic recovery.

Meanwhile, neighboring Israel voiced support for the reimposed sanctions and again warned that if Iran continues to develop high-purity enriched uranium, it may be forced to take “necessary actions.” Many fear that if the situation spirals out of control, it could trigger a regional military conflict.

Although the UN resolution has been finalized, diplomatic experts emphasize that there is still room for maneuver. If Iran is willing to return to the negotiating table and demonstrate transparency in its nuclear program, the international community may still find a path to avoid full-scale confrontation. However, in the short term, mutual trust between Iran and the West has nearly collapsed, and the future trajectory of the situation remains a key concern for the global community.

U.S. President Donald Trump on September 30 urgently convened the four top congressional leaders from both parties in a last-ditch effort to resolve the looming government shutdown set to begin on October 1. With Congress yet to approve discretionary spending for the new fiscal year, the federal government is on the verge of its 15th partial shutdown since 1981. Vice President J.D. Vance said afterward that the administration was prepared for a shutdown, blaming Democrats for blocking a deal; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer countered that wide divisions remain and talks have seen no breakthrough.

If Congress fails to act in time, thousands of federal employees could face unpaid furloughs, and services at NASA, national parks, federal courts, and small business grant programs may be disrupted. However, Social Security payments to seniors, Medicare and Medicaid services, federal student loans, and Pell Grants for low-income students would continue. The White House has already ordered agencies to prepare for staff cuts, framing the shutdown as an opportunity to reduce waste and abuse — though it could have significant repercussions for the labor market. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen criticized Republicans for giving Trump a “blank check” and politicizing funding.

Republicans are pushing for a “clean” short-term spending bill to extend government operations for seven weeks at current funding levels, while Democrats are demanding the inclusion of provisions such as extended health care subsidies. Despite Republican majorities in both chambers, the Senate requires at least 60 votes to advance any bill, meaning some Democratic support is necessary. If even the stopgap continuing resolution (CR) fails to pass, the government could begin shutting down as early as the morning of October 1.

After the collapse of the final round of nuclear talks between Iran and Western nations, the United Nations Security Council formally reinstated its arms embargo and multiple sanctions on Iran at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the 27th (8 a.m. on the 28th in Taiwan). This marks the first time in a decade such measures have been reimposed.

In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United States, Russia, and China, agreeing to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for international sanctions relief. However, the UK, France, and Germany have now accused Tehran of violating the agreement and triggered the Security Council’s “snapback” sanctions mechanism.

As a result, resolutions passed by the Council between 2006 and 2010 imposing sanctions are once again in effect. Several countries had tried, on the sidelines of this week’s UN General Assembly, to delay the sanctions reinstatement but ultimately failed. Following the vote, the foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran and all nations to fully comply with the Security Council’s resolutions.

With the effective termination of the nuclear deal, tensions in the Middle East are expected to escalate further. The United States and Israel recently carried out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, heightening hostilities. Tehran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons and warned it would respond firmly. Still, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran has no intention of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and announced the recall of its ambassadors to the UK, France, and Germany for consultations.

The UN Security Council’s official website has already updated its records to reflect the reinstated sanctions. Western diplomats emphasized that diplomatic channels remain open. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Tehran to show goodwill by accepting direct talks and called on member states to “immediately enforce the sanctions” to pressure Iran’s leadership into making decisions that would benefit both national and global security.

A fire broke out last night at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) in Daejeon, South Korea, triggered by a lithium battery, causing a nationwide shutdown of multiple government online systems, including postal services and emergency response platforms. The incident drew widespread public concern, prompting Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to issue a public apology on the 27th.

According to AFP, the center, located about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, is a key national information facility that hosts hundreds of critical systems. Local authorities stated that while the blaze was largely brought under control earlier, cooling and humidity control equipment essential for the servers had been damaged, leading the government to shut down most systems to prevent further harm.

South Koreans received several official text alerts early this morning, notifying them that some postal online services were suspended, and that the 119 emergency hotline could only be reached by phone, with video and text reporting functions temporarily disabled.

In his statement, Kim said: “Because critical systems are concentrated in a single facility, firefighting and recovery efforts are extremely challenging. Processing of certain civil affairs and the issuance of official documents may be delayed, causing inconvenience to the public. I extend my deepest apologies to the people.”

The Ministry of the Interior reported that, as of the morning of the 27th, 647 government online services were offline, affecting mobile identity verification, the National Law Information Center, and the official platform for filing petitions.

The accident has drawn comparisons to the 2022 KakaoTalk outage, when a fire at a data center crippled South Korea’s largest messaging app, disrupting service for more than 50 million users. That incident forced both the company and the government to pledge stronger preventive measures. With yet another fire now striking a national-level data center, public concerns over cybersecurity and infrastructure safety are likely to deepen.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the White House on the 25th, officially approving the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations, bringing months of negotiations with China to an end. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the deal is valued at $14 billion.

Under this deal, TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance will sell its U.S. operations. A new company will be formed to take over the U.S. business, led and majority-owned by American investors. The new entity is expected to be valued at around $14 billion. ByteDance's ownership will be reduced to below 20% to ensure TikTok can continue operating in the U.S. while complying with national security regulations.

According to media reports, U.S. software giant Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and UAE-based investment company MGX will be the primary investors in the new company, collectively holding a 45% stake in TikTok’s U.S. business. TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance will hold a 19.9% stake, while the remaining 35% will be owned by ByteDance’s existing investors.

During the signing, Trump stated that the agreement benefits both the U.S. and China, and thanked China for its support in completing the deal. However, some members of the U.S. Congress have raised concerns over whether the deal meets national security requirements, calling for the government to release the agreement’s details and submit it for congressional review. As of now, the Chinese government has not made an official statement, and the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. has yet to respond to requests for comment.

According to media reports, between the 1960s and 1970s, the Danish government forcibly inserted intrauterine devices (IUDs) into 4,500 Greenlandic girls and women in an effort to control the population of Greenland. The procedure left some women infertile for life. On September 24, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a formal public apology to the women affected and pledged financial compensation to the victims.

Frederiksen traveled to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, where she stated that the Danish government openly acknowledges its wrongdoing. She affirmed that Greenlanders deserve the same human rights as all Danish citizens. She expressed regret for everything that was taken from the victims, and for the pain and suffering they endured.

Former Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte B. Egede criticized the Danish government, saying that if it weren’t for growing interest and pressure from the United States regarding Greenland, Denmark would not have acted so swiftly.

The report also noted that forced birth control was just one part of Denmark’s broader population policy toward Greenland at the time. Other policies included removing Inuit children from their families and placing them in Danish foster homes for re-education — practices that led to the forced separation of Greenlandic families.

Greenland was once a Danish colony. In 1953, it became an official province of Denmark, gained home rule in 1979, and became a self-governing territory 30 years later.

On September 23, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a fiery speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held at the UN headquarters in New York. Due to a malfunctioning teleprompter, Trump improvised his remarks on the spot. In addition to boasting about his achievements, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the United Nations and European countries. He criticized the UN for being all talk and no action, accused its push to recognize Palestine as a reward for terrorists, dismissed green energy and climate change as a scam, and called out certain European countries for helping Ukraine fight Russia while simultaneously purchasing oil from Russia.

After the event, Trump took to Truth Social to accuse the UN of deliberately sabotaging him, citing incidents such as an escalator suddenly stopping and the teleprompter and audio system malfunctioning. He used the opportunity to mock the UN, saying, “No wonder it has never fulfilled the duties it was founded to perform.”

On September 24, California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted strongly to Trump’s claim that climate change is a hoax, stressing that such a view should not be normalized. Newsom is considered a potential Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential election. California has been increasingly affected by natural disasters linked to climate change in recent years, prompting him to criticize Trump’s actions over the past eight months toward the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including shutting down climate change research units and revoking California’s authority to regulate vehicle emissions under the Clean Air Act.

The Gries Glacier in the canton of Valais, Switzerland, is facing a rapid melting crisis. According to the latest data from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS), the glacier has thinned by approximately six meters between September 2024 and September 2025, indicating that high temperatures and insufficient snowfall are accelerating glacier retreat.

Experts warn that without adequate winter snowfall to offset the effects of summer heat, glaciers at elevations around 3,000 meters may only have 40 to 50 years left. Between 2016 and 2022, Switzerland lost over a hundred glaciers, and in 2025, the collapse of the Birchgletscher glacier destroyed a village in the south, highlighting the severe consequences of glacier degradation.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that global glaciers have been melting at an accelerated pace since the 1990s, with the trend intensifying after 2000. Reduced meltwater from glaciers in Europe, northern Canada, and New Zealand signals continued glacier retreat.

The United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada, and Portugal have recently announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, emphasizing that the move is intended to advance the “two-state solution” and promote peace in the Middle East. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this represents a commitment to a better future for both Palestinians and Israelis, stressing that Hamas must not take part in any future Palestinian government. Leaders of Australia, Canada, and Portugal also expressed support for Palestinian self-determination, saying the step could help move the peace process forward.

Israel, however, strongly objected. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the recognition of Palestine, calling it a “huge reward” in the wake of Hamas’s deadly attacks on October 7, 2023, and reaffirmed that “no Palestinian state will be established in the West Bank.” Israel also warned it could retaliate against the countries involved, possibly by annexing parts of the West Bank.

The United States has taken a cautious stance. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in Washington that President Trump sees the move as “rewarding Hamas” and argued it does nothing to secure the release of hostages or end the Gaza war. A brother of David, one of the hostages held in Gaza, also said that international recognition of Palestine would encourage Hamas to prolong the conflict and undermine Israel’s rescue efforts. Some British Conservative Party members criticized Prime Minister Starmer, accusing him of bowing to pressure from the party’s radical left wing.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the decisions, calling them a return to historical justice and a boost to efforts for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. More than 150 countries worldwide have now recognized Palestine, but its borders, capital, and sovereignty remain unsettled and lack broad international consensus. While the recognition by the UK, Canada, Australia, and France carries symbolic significance, opposition from the United States and Israel, along with internal Palestinian political challenges, has once again highlighted the complexity and sensitivity of the Middle East peace process.