Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have forged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, said last month that he plans to meet Kim later this year. Lee says it is “clear” that “Trump wants dialogue, and I am also encouraging him to talk.”
Bangkok (AFP) – From a working-class childhood on the southern English coast to the top foreign-born monk in Thailand, Shaun Chiverton’s quest for a better life has taken him further than most. Five decades after he travelled to India to follow the Buddha’s teachings, the 68-year-old this summer became the first non-Thai to be elevated to rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, or royal monastic leader — the second-highest level in Thailand’s monkhood.
Gold Coast (Australia) (AFP) – Images released by Olaf Meynecke of Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program appears to show a humpback whale mother grieving her stillborn calf. The new research released Thursday offers rare insights into the complex emotions of the sea-dwelling mammals. The footage was taken off Australia’s Gold Coast last year, and shows the female humpback whale staying close to the dead calf as it lies motionless on the sea floor.
Tullamore (Ireland) (AFP) – Among the roar of tractors and clip-clop of horses, precision, tradition and technology meet in rural Ireland’s biggest annual gathering: the National Ploughing Championships, where horse-drawn ploughs and GPS-guided machinery offer contrasting visions of farming’s past and future. Veteran competitors preserve skills once passed down through generations, while engineers explore how “autonomous tractors” could support an ageing workforce.
Yekaterinburg (Russia) (AFP) – Russia has no intention of attacking Europe, but any conflict triggered by an attack from European nations would be “completely different” and “very short,” says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg.
Hong Kong (AFP) – An area roughly a third of Hong Kong including villages, natural wetlands and farmland is being converted into the “Northern Metropolis”, a US$28-billion high-tech hub aimed at deepening integration with the mainland, diversifying the economy and providing new homes.
Koror (Palau) (AFP) – Dotted with turquoise lagoons and home to rare dugongs, or sea cows, the Pacific archipelago of Palau is facing the threat of US military expansion. The scene of fierce clashes between American and Japanese forces during WWII, Palau has since hosted a US military presence, ceding access to Washington in return for funding and visa-free work and study. Now, the US plans to build a new naval harbour, as well as a radar site, airfield and stockpile for marines in order to boost its capabilities in an area 500km west of the South China Sea. The plans have stoked concern among locals, who fear the return of fighting to their shores, and ecologists worried by the construction’s impact on the delicate ecosystem.
Washington (United States) (AFP) – Senator Bernie Sanders and Stever Bannon, former advisor to US President Donald Trump, warn against the dangers of artificial intelligence in a rare instance of left-right political alignment. “We’re trying to raise above partisanship, and we have to,” says Bannon, at a conference hosted by the Future of Life Institute. “The people of this country must make the decisions about AI,” Sanders says, “and not just a handful of oligarchs.”
Fighters linked to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government clash with Houthi forces in Al-Jawf province, near the Saudi border, following territorial advances by the group. Last week, the Iran-backed Houthis seized control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital artery for the export of Saudi oil. The seizure has introduced another chokepoint for the global movement of oil, with the Middle East war already impacting the Strait of Hormuz. Fighting flared in July when the Houthis, who have for years controlled swathes of northern Yemen, launched a large-scale offensive against government forces.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu picked up the sport — and a barbell — at the age of 13, beginning a career that has cemented her as a star at home. Now 32, and a highly-decorated athlete, Chanu has her sights firmly set on the prize that has so far eluded her: a medal at the Asian Games. “It’s very close and within reach,” she says during training ahead of the competition, at which she has missed out on the podium twice, including an agonisingly close call in 2023, finishing fourth.
San Francisco (United States) (AFP) – AFP asks citizens around the world for their thoughts on artificial intelligence, as the rapid rise of AI and the risks that it poses to humanity explode into national conversations. US tech leaders have broadly agreed on the need to slow the technology’s development to allow a better understanding of the risks, while US President Donald Trump and key allies are opposed to drastically curbing AI growth.
Toronto (Canada) (AFP) – “Canada will continue to be the US’s most important partner,” says Prime Minister Mark Carney, addressing a meeting of top global investors in Toronto, amid escalating tensions between the North American neighbors. “These arrangements work best when we engage as true partners that respect each other’s traditions and sovereignty,” he adds, hours after US President Donald Trump imposed fresh tariffs on Canadian goods.
