World Echo

South Korea plans to introduce a special bill that would legally reaffirm its commitment not to develop or possess nuclear weapons while advancing its program to build nuclear-powered submarines, according to a Yonhap News Agency report on Tuesday citing government sources. The proposed legislation, expected to be announced for public consultation by the Defence Ministry, outlines five basic principles for the country's nuclear-powered submarine project. If passed, it would mark the first time South Korea's pledge not to develop or possess nuclear weapons is explicitly codified in domestic law. Read: South Korea, Japan reaffirm denuclearisation goal, closer defence ties Under the bill, the government would be prohibited from developing, manufacturing, possessing, or using nuclear weapons, as well as engaging in activities involving nuclear materials intended exclusively for nuclear weapons purposes or actions that could undermine the global nuclear non-proliferatio...

A majority of Americans believe the ongoing war with Iran has proven more difficult than initially anticipated by the United States administration, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted by CBS News in collaboration with YouGov between July 22 and 24, found that 76% of respondents said the conflict had been “more challenging” than expected. In contrast, 20% felt the war had unfolded as anticipated, while only 4% believed it had been easier than expected. Read More: Trump warns of 'strong military action' if Iran talks fail Public sentiment surrounding the conflict appeared largely unsettled. The survey showed that 58% of respondents felt uncertain about the situation, while 57% reported feelings of frustration. Moreover, 36% expressed pessimism, compared to just 19% who said they felt optimistic. The findings also suggested limited confidence in the US position, with only 22% of respondents believing Iran currently held the a...

India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement, whose protests have forced the education minister’s resignation, urged authorities on Monday to release all demonstrators detained in weeks of rallies nationwide. The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said they had received reports of students held in detention, particularly in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. “Any failure to release those detained or withdraw criminal cases would amount to a breach of public trust,” the protest group said in a statement, adding they would take “further necessary steps” if their demand was not met. 🚨STATEMENT We are deeply concerned by multiple reports reaching us of students and other protestors being targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar. The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest...

Ukraine wants a prototype for a European anti-ballistic system codenamed Freyja to be ready within the first half of next year, a senior official said, as Kyiv pushes its allies to help deliver a weapon capable of downing Russian missiles. Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, who oversees the Freyja project, said that an international steering committee tasked with estimating the research and development costs was due to convene for the first time soon. Leaders from 10 European countries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as well as around a dozen defence manufacturers gathered at a summit in Paris two weeks ago to officially launch the anti-ballistic coalition. "Since we're working within such a tight timeframe, we have an ambitious goal: to have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready by the first half of next year," Alo...

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham "will always put Britain's interests first", he ‌told the BBC in an interview when asked whether he was willing to call out US President Donald Trump. Burnham's predecessor Keir Starmer, who announced he was stepping down last month, had a fraught relationship with Trump due to differences over the US-Israeli war on Iran, immigration, ​energy and tech regulation. While Trump initially described Starmer's successor as "extremely liberal", he said this week he ​had a "very good conversation" with Burnham, who became Britain's seventh prime minister in a decade ⁠on Monday. READ: Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, vows to end years of instability In his first major interview since taking office, parts of which were released on Sunday, BBC ​journalist Laura Kuenssberg asked Burnham if he was willing to call out Trump if he thought it was the ​right thing to do. "All le...

An Israeli airstrike killed Gaza's internal security chief in central Gaza on Sunday, while nine more Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the territory over the past 24 hours. According to the territory’s interior ministry, the Israeli army killed the head of the Internal Security Directorate in central Gaza and another officer in an airstrike targeting their vehicle in Deir al-Balah, . In a statement, the ministry said Col Wael Mousa al-Ladawi, 44, and Maj Ramez Tawfiq Abu Zureiq, 49, were killed in the strike. The ministry said the two police officers were travelling in a vehicle in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza when it was hit by an Israeli aircraft. The attack came despite a ceasefire agreement in effect in Gaza since Oct 10, 2025. وزارة الداخلية في #غزة تعلن اغتيال مدير جهاز الأمن الداخلي في المحافظة الوسطى ومرافقه، إثر غارة إسرائيلية استهدفت مركبتهما، وتُظهر مشاهد متداولة قصف الاحتلال المركبة للمرة الثانية، خلال محاولة مواطنين تفقدها وانتشال الشهد...

Mediators Pakistan and Qatar have intensified the exchange of messages between the US and Iran after the two warring sides communicated their responses to a joint formula to end their months-long war, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Sunday. The development came after US President Donald Trump ordered a "pause" in the latest bombing campaign on Iran after two weeks of consecutive nights of strikes, the sources added. Earlier this week, Islamabad and Doha proposed a joint de-escalation formula, urging the US and Iran to return to their pre-July 9 positions "as a first step" to resume stalled talks to permanently end the conflict, according to an official familiar with the matter. Although the sources did not elaborate on details of the responses, they said both sides have communicated their consent for dialogue and diplomacy to end the latest hostilities and return to negotiations. The sources said the pause in strikes from both sides has raised ...