top news

A manhunt is underway for at least 10 suspects in a mass shooting that left 12 people dead near Johannesburg, South Africa. The motive for the attack is not known but Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller reports that recent shootings have been linked to turf wars or gang violence.

June 10 (UPI) — Maine Democrat Graham Platner secured his party’s nomination to challenge Sen. Susan Collins in November and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., failed to advance in her gubernatorial bid.

Primaries in Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota shed some light on where voters stand heading into November’s midterms. Platner’s victory in Maine, running on a progressive platform seeking to shake up the establishment, came in spite of a series of controversies during his campaign.

Platner received nearly 75% of votes in his primary as of Tuesday. Among his main challengers was Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign when pre-primary polls showed Platner with a commanding lead.

“Over the last nine months I have seen Mainers come together behind a vision to take back our power from corporations and billionaires,” Platner said Tuesday.

Democrats have targeted Collins’ seat as a key to earning a majority in the Senate.

“Over the past year, we have created a path to win a Democratic Senate majority and put a stop to the chaos and damage of the Trump administration by defeating the Republicans who enable his harmful agenda,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, wrote Tuesday. “In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.”

Trump’s endorsement in South Carolina’s gubernatorial race advanced to a June 23 runoff. State Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson were the top two vote-getters on Tuesday but neither surpassed the 50% threshold. Trump endorsed Evette over Mace, who has often aligned with Trump throughout her career.

Mace was one of the few Republicans to criticize Trump and his administration over the release of files related to the investigation into convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“I chose to expose the abusers of children. And apparently, I chose wrong if the goal was winning an election,” Mace posted on social media on Tuesday. “I’m at peace with that. Because when a candidate is OK with corruption and cover-ups — something is broken. That’s not a political opinion. That’s a moral emergency.”

The race for Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s Senate seat in South Carolina has been set as the incumbent earned more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election later this month. Graham will be challenged by Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who ran for Congress in 2022.

The United States and Iran engaged in some of the most intense fighting overnight since all-out hostilities in the ongoing US‑Israeli war on Iran were halted with a Pakistan‑mediated temporary ceasefire on April 8.

A comprehensive peace agreement remains elusive as Iran and the US have exchanged a series of proposals and counterproposals in the weeks since that pause. After a string of smaller escalations, however, the US struck targets in Iran following the downing of a US Apache helicopter close to the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and Iran retaliated by hitting US military bases in the Gulf.

The US military said it targeted communications and radar facilities. Iranian officials, however, said civilian infrastructure was also damaged, including two water reservoirs.

If correct, this is the first reported strike on civilian infrastructure in Iran in several weeks, but it comes at a time when Iran is facing a severe water shortage.

Which targets have been hit in Iran?

The US launched waves of attacks starting late on Tuesday following the downing of the helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. The US described the attacks as “self-defence strikes” and a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”.

While an official US inquiry into what caused the helicopter to crash has yet to conclude, US President Donald Trump quickly blamed Iran, which he said had deliberately shot it down.

“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” Trump wrote on social media.

“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said US strikes, which hit targets including Sirik, Jask, Minab, Qeshm Island and the port of Bandar Abbas, had caused major damage to a telecommunications tower in the town of Sirik and destroyed two water reservoirs there.

Iran’s West Asia News Agency (WANA) news outlet reported on Wednesday, citing “available reports”, that two concrete water storage reservoirs in the Bamani district in the Sirik County of Hormozgan Province, in southern Iran, 1,012km (629 miles) from the capital, Tehran, had been hit in the US attacks.

The IRGC claimed attacks on US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation.

Has the US hit Iran’s water infrastructure before?

Yes. On March 7, while missiles were flying across the region in an all-out war between Iran and the US-Israel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of striking a desalination plant on Qeshm Island off the coast of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. The strike reportedly cut off the water supply to 30 villages.

“Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The US set this precedent, not Iran,” Araghchi wrote in an X post.

A desalination plant converts seawater into water suitable for drinking, irrigation and industrial use. These facilities are particularly critical in areas such as the Gulf, where freshwater is scarce.

Why is this significant?

The reservoirs that were struck provide drinking water to more than 20,000 residents in the city of Kouhestak and 10 surrounding villages. WANA reported initial estimates for damages amounting to $780,000 to $830,000.

Iran was already facing a multiyear drought and decline in precipitation before the US-Israeli war on Iran started. After years of poor agricultural practices and mismanagement, Iran’s main water supplies, including its reservoirs, rivers and groundwater reserves, continued to run dry.

According to Aqueduct data from the World Resources Institute, which tracks global water risk, Iran’s baseline water stress is classified as “extremely high” – meaning the country uses more than 80 percent of its renewable water resources in a typical year.

Last year marked Iran’s fifth consecutive year of drought. In November 2025, the water crisis was so dire that Tehran’s Amir Kabir Dam only held 8 percent of its capacity, while across the country, 19 major dams had run dry.

Is this a war crime?

Isa Bozorgzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s water industry, claimed the US strike on the water reservoirs is a war crime, WANA reported.

International humanitarian law classifies water infrastructure, including drinking water installations, treatment plants and pipelines, as civilian property which is not deemed a legitimate target during war.

The Berlin Rules on Water Resources, drafted by the International Law Association (ILA) and adopted in 2004, are a set of non‑binding international legal principles about how countries should use, share and protect water.

The Berlin Rules prohibit countries at war from destroying water installations “if such actions would cause disproportionate suffering to civilians”.

June 10 (UPI) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cast doubt whether she will attend the 2026 World Cup Fan Fest on Thursday because of demonstrations by teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers.

During her press conference Tuesday, the president said her being there would depend on “how what is happening with the teachers and some other groups develops, because I obviously have to pay attention to that.”

The highly anticipated World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City and the game between Mexico and South Africa, are scheduled at 1:30 p.n. local time at Banorte Stadium, renamed from Azteca Stadium for the tournament.

The event will be held as social protests seek to capitalize on the tournament’s international attention to publicize demands related to human rights, pensions, public services and labor conditions.

Among the most visible movements those formed by teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers, who have maintained a protest camp for weeks in Mexico City’s Zócalo. They have erected blockades at different locations to demand repeal of reforms to the pension system for state employees and salary increases.

The demonstrations have impacted streets, public buildings and areas linked to the operation of the World Cup.

Mexico City’s Secretariat of Citizen Security reported about 6,000 teachers are participating in demonstrations in areas near the stadium. Although the federal government maintains that fully reversing the reform would carry a high fiscal cost, union leaders have warned they will continue protesting until they receive a favorable response.

Political analysts agree that the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become the main battleground for the public narrative in Mexico — a phenomenon in which social tensions are colliding directly with government efforts to project stability abroad.

One example will be the mobilization of groups representing relatives of missing persons, known as “searching mothers.” Thousands of women plan to march on the same day as the opening ceremony under the slogan, “Do not play with our pain,” to denounce a crisis involving more than 134,000 people who are missing or whose whereabouts remain unknown in the country.

The organizations have begun to post photographs and missing-person notices around the stadium and have announced activities aimed at drawing attention to the issue before the millions of viewers who will follow the tournament around the world.

Amnesty International said it will act as an observer of the protest.

“As tens of millions of people around the world prepare to tune in to what FIFA describes as ‘the biggest opening ceremony on the planet,’ in Mexico thousands of brave women will seize the opportunity to take to the streets and remind the world that their loved ones remain missing,” said Edith Olivares Ferreto, executive director of Amnesty International Mexico.

“The Interior Ministry works permanently on the issue of missing persons, is permanently engaged in search efforts in a way that has never been done before and also with prevention at the moment a person finds themselves in this situation,” Sheinbaum said Tuesday.

“Therefore, the issues are being addressed. If they want to demonstrate, then they should do so peacefully.”

Neighborhood organizations have also joined the protests.

With slogans that oppose gentrification and evictions and protest water shortages, anti-World Cup groups contend that projects associated with the tournament have deepened structural problems in different neighborhoods of the capital.

They have been joined by farmers’ organizations, transport workers and retired members of the judiciary, who have called for demonstrations on strategic routes leading to the stadium.

The protests also coincide with questions about infrastructure that must deal with the tournament.

In recent days, users reported water leaks at recently renovated stations on Metro Line 2, one of the main transportation routes for fans attending the opening match. Rainfall also caused delays on the rail network because of speed restrictions implemented for safety reasons.

Against this backdrop, federal and local authorities announced a security operation that involves more than 10,000 personnel to safeguard the opening ceremony, guarantee the movement of teams and fans, and prevent incidents around the stadium and the FIFA Fan Festival in the Zócalo.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has vowed to prioritize elevating Seoul into a “global top three city” during his new term following his victory in the June 3 local elections.

Oh made the pledge in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday after winning last week’s local election against ruling Democratic Party rival Chong Won-o, his third consecutive and fifth non-consecutive election as Seoul mayor.

“A global top three city is not merely a slogan to raise the ranking but a goal to increase quality of life,” Oh said at his office. “(I) will concentrate the new city government’s capabilities to create a warmer and healthier Seoul.”

Seoul ranked sixth in the Japan-based Mori Memorial Foundation’s Global Power City Index 2025. London topped the list followed by Tokyo, New York, Paris and Singapore.

The index evaluates cities based on six major indicators — economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment and accessibility.

Oh said he plans to establish a committee to achieve the “global top three city” goal, noting that it will serve to set the direction of the city government for the next four years.

“If (we) continuously work on areas that the city can be good at and can handle, Seoul can rise to a global top three city rivaling London, New York, Tokyo, Paris and Singapore,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oh said he has no plans set up for the presidency, even after his victory cemented his place as a political heavyweight with his party suffering a rout in last week’s elections, winning only four out of 16 key mayoral and gubernatorial seats up for grabs.

“There is no plan for the presidency,” he said, pledging to focus on elevating the city’s status. “(I) don’t think politics works out just by making plans.”

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

June 10 (UPI) — Iran said it launched strikes against U.S. military bases in neighboring countries in and around the Persian Gulf early Wednesday in retaliation for American “aggression” after U.S. forces conducted strikes on targets in southern Iran.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s central command, said in a statement published by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that the “brave Army of the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” carried out a “powerful assault” on U.S. military assets in the region.

“The criminal U.S. military should know that if aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran is repeated, even more severe and widespread attacks will be carried out against the designated target bank in the region, it added.

The statement was accompanied by a photo showing six ground-launched ballistic missiles blasting off from an undisclosed desert location but it was unclear if it was of Wednesday’s strikes as the image was undated and uncredited.

The IRGC claimed missiles were fired at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti airbase, where U.S. F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft operate out of, and that facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain were also attacked.

It said that the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain was targeted with drones.

The attacks had yet to be verified but Jordan’s armed forces said they downed five Iranian missiles targeting the country’s al-Azraq district, 60 miles east of the capital, Amman.

The Kuwaiti military, in a post on X just after 3 a.m. local time, said its air defenses were “currently intercepting hostile aerial targets.”

Bahrain’s interior ministry issued multiple alerts around the same time, advising residents that the air-raid siren had been sounded, urging them not to panic and to move to the nearest safe place to shelter immediately.

No deaths or injuries were reported.

The escalation came almost immediately after U.S. Central Command announced that it had completed “self-defense strikes” ordered by President Donald Trump in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter earlier Tuesday.

CENTCOM said in a statement early Wednesday that U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz “with precision munitions’ in an approximately four-hour-long operation.

“The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional water,” said CENTCOM.

The ratcheting up of tensions prompted Beijing and Moscow to call on both sides to apply the brakes.

“China is deeply concerned over the latest developments regarding Iran. Relevant parties need to remain calm, exercise restraint, stop exacerbating confrontation and escalating tensions, take concrete actions to ease the situation, stick to political and diplomatic means for resolving disputes, and work for an early realization of a comprehensive and lasting cease-fire,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Wednesday.

In a post on X, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow was very worried about what she called “the new spiral of U.S.-Iran armed confrontation.”

She called on both parties to show restraint and halt military attacks immediately, adding that Russia stood ready to assist in finding and implementing “mutually acceptable negotiated solutions” to the crisis.

Four-year-old Malika was seriously wounded in an Israeli attack that killed her mother while she shielded her from falling debris. Now, with support from her family and the Ghassan Abu Sitta Children’s Fund, she is recovering from her injuries. Her story reflects the lasting impact of war on children in Lebanon.

South Korean stocks plummeted more than 4 percent Wednesday amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran and a tech slump fueled by concerns over the valuation of stocks related to artificial intelligence (AI). The local currency was trading lower against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 366.11 points, or 4.52 percent, to close at 7,730.82, almost eclipsing most of the over 8 percent surge from the previous day.

At one point, the index fell as low as 7,541.11.

Due to the sharp fall, the Korea Exchange had activated a sell-side sidecar for the index at 1:16 p.m., halting program trading for five minutes.

Trade volume was moderate at 457.5 million shares worth 39 trillion won (US$25.6 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 547 to 343.

Foreigners continued their sell-off for the 23rd consecutive session, dumping a net 2.77 trillion won, while retail investors and institutions purchased local shares worth 4.86 trillion won. Institutions sold 2.27 trillion won.

Market analysts said the KOSPI lost ground as tensions resurfaced in the Middle East after the U.S. struck Iran in response to the shooting down of an American Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz and then Tehran hit back.

The risk-on appetite was also sapped by an overnight tech slide on Wall Street caused by concerns over the valuation of the AI stocks on news that Crusoe Energy Systems, a data center developer, suspended one of its projects upon the request of an unidentified big tech customer.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite closed 0.97 percent lower, and the S&P 500 dropped 0.26 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17 percent.

Major tech shares led the market decline, with Broadcom losing 1.12 percent, Apple sliding 3.64 percent, Micron falling 1.4 percent and Nvidia down 0.2 percent.

Investors’ eyes are now on the upcoming release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), which could give further clues on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s monetary policy amid bets on a hawkish pivot and the initial public offering of SpaceX later this week.

“The South Korean stock market was weighed down as risk aversion sentiment strengthened ahead of the U.S. CPI and Oracle’s earnings release, once triggering a sell-side sidecar,” Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said.

Lee said a hot inflation report could further contract the market sentiment, raising concerns over a possible U.S. rate hike.

In Seoul, market top-cap Samsung Electronics slid 6.06 percent to 302,500 won, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix plunged 7.54 percent to 2.05 million won.

AI investment firm SK Square shed 6.78 percent to 1.18 million won, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics shot down 8.38 percent to 1.8 million won.

Samsung Life Insurance dipped 6.36 percent to 368,000 won, and Samsung C&T plummeted 5.01 percent to 407,500 won.

Auto shares were also weak, with Hyundai Motor down 5.79 percent to 602,000 won, and its sister Kia losing 2.8 percent to 159,700 won. Hyundai Mobis dropped 4.2 percent to 570,000 won.

Internet portal operator Naver, which had recently rallied on news on its partnership with Nvidia, nosedived 11.67 percent to 227,000 won. Home appliances maker LG Electronics shot down 9.68 percent to 224,000 won.

Major shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy was among the few gainers, jumping 4.74 percent to 641,000 won.

Defense giant Hanwha Aerospace also climbed 1.48 percent to 1.03 million won.

The Korean won was quoted at 1,524.2 won against the U.S. dollar at 3:30 p.m., down 12.1 won from the previous session.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed mixed. The yield on three-year Treasurys added 2.5 basis points to 3.881 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds dropped 3.2 basis points to 4.070 percent.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

• Population: 1.37 million
• Defence spending: 5.4 percent of GDP
• Border with Russia: 338km (210 miles)

Estonia, the smallest of the Baltic states, has experienced some dramatic incidents.

In September, Tallinn said Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes. NATO scrambled Italian F-35s stationed in Estonia as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission. Russia denied violating Estonian airspace.

In March, a stray Ukrainian military drone crashed into Estonia’s Auvere power station.

In April and May, Estonian authorities said drones entered their airspace, grounding flights and prompting warnings issued to citizens.

Estonia’s intelligence services have said that the country does not believe Russia is preparing an imminent military attack on NATO, but that Moscow may be rebuilding its forces for the long term while engaging in hybrid attacks through drones, cyber operations, and sabotage.

Tallinn claims one such hybrid method is the so-called “Narva People’s Republic”, a pro-Russian separatist narrative that casts Estonia’s Russian-speaking border region as a distinct political entity, echoing the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” used by Moscow as a pretext for intervention in Ukraine.

Estonian authorities say it is part of a disinformation campaign rather than a credible separatist movement.

Its military has, at times, been bellicose in its statements.

In May, Estonia’s Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo argued that Russia is rebuilding its military much faster than many Europeans realise and that Estonia must be ready for a renewed military threat within the next few years, marking 2027 as a critical benchmark for readiness.

In September 2024, in an interview with the Estonian public broadcaster ERR, Estonian General Vahur Karus stated that if Moscow showed signs of preparing for an attack, Estonia could strike the Russians first.

“Our capability to neutralise the enemy on its own territory is crucial,” he said.

However, the government’s rhetoric has been more measured.

In April, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy suggested in an interview that a new wave of Russian mobilisation may be used to launch an attack on the Baltic states.

But Estonian politicians, including the foreign minister, warned that the remarks echoed Moscow’s objective of stoking fears and made cooperation difficult.

“We do not see Russia concentrating its forces or preparing in any way militarily to attack NATO or the Baltic states; rather, it is the opposite. Russia is not in a very strong position on the Ukrainian front, and economically as well,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told ERR.

“No one is in the streets panicking,” Tony Lawrence, a research fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn, told Al Jazeera.

The air incursions have “put people on edge”, but there is a sense that Russian forces are too preoccupied in Ukraine, he said.

On this date in history:

In 1692, Bridget Bishop was found guilty of the practice of witchcraft and hanged in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She was the first colonist executed during the Salem witch trials.

In 1898, U.S. Marines invaded Cuba in the Spanish-American War.

In 1916, whatever momentum former President Theodore Roosevelt had built up as he campaigned for the Republican nomination for president was extinguished when the progressive convention voted for reconciliation with the GOP.

In 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio.

In 1940, Norway surrendered to Germany during World War II, with King Haakon and members of the government fleeing to Britain. National Unity Party leader Vidkun Quisling led Norwegian fascist forces to assist the Germans, seizing strategic locations.

In 1942, the German Gestapo burned the tiny Czech village of Lidice after shooting 173 men and shipping the women and children to concentration camps.

In 1943, Hungarian Laszlo Biro secured a patent for his invention — the first successful and widely used ballpoint pen.

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a law authorizing employers to withhold income tax payments from salary checks.

In 2000, Syrian President Hafez Assad died from a heart attack at age 69. He had ruled the country since 1970.

UPI File Photo

In 2003, a three-member Ontario Court of Appeal in Canada ordered that full marriage rights be extended to same-sex couples.

In 2006, three detainees at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, hanged themselves.

File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

In 2009, Chrysler, one of America’s “Big 3” automakers, climbed out of bankruptcy with a reconstruction plan that included a partnership deal with Italian carmaker Fiat.

In 2014, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the U.S. House Republican leader, was defeated by Tea Party challenger David Brat, a college economics professor, in one of the most stunning primary election upsets in congressional history.

In 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed Zahid Quraishi to the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, making him the first Muslim federal judge in the United States.

In 2024, Apple introduced its new generative artificial intelligence technology, called Apple Intelligence, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, Calif.

File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

June 9 (UPI) — A former pilot and captain for Air Canada faces fraud charges after an investigation showed he flew hundreds of flights over 17 years without a proper license, police said Tuesday.

Geoffrey Wall, 59, of Barrie, Ontario, was arrested June 1 after the investigation, which police called “Project Icarus,” CBC News reported.

Wall, who’d started his career with Air Canada in 1998, did not obtain the required airline transport pilot license in 2009 when he was promoted to captain, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said at a press conference.

That license requires a series of written exams. Instead, Wall allegedly used fraudulent licenses for Air Canada and Transport Canada (the country’s federal transportation department)and then attempted to conceal that in a false police report, Milinovich said.

“This is very similar to a doctor who that is licensed to practice family medicine but is doing brain surgery in their office,” Milinovich said.

Air Canada said that Wall was immediately removed from duty when the fraud was discovered, The BBC reported. Airline officials said passengers were never at risk and that Wall was completely trained with a valid commercial pilot license, just not the ATPL.

Police said Wall flew several types of airplanes in a total of 900 domestic and international flights. The investigation through Transport Canada started when officials noticed inconsistencies with his license documentation in a routine evaluation. The Peel Regional Police then started a criminal investigation. The charges include fraud, forging documents and possession of counterfeit mark.

Wall is expected to appear in court on June 29.

June 9 (Asia Today) — Military, industry and academic experts warned Tuesday that South Korea must urgently build an integrated air and missile defense system as drone swarms, artificial intelligence-enabled attacks and missile threats become more complex.

Experts said fragmented air defense weapons cannot respond effectively to modern battlefields where drone swarms are combined with ballistic and cruise missiles. They called for linking sensors, command decisions and interceptors into a unified system.

The Korea Association of Defense Industry Studies hosted the Future of Integrated Air and Missile Defense conference at the Daejeon Convention Center. The Missile Defense Forum organized the event and Northrop Grumman sponsored it.

The conference was held alongside the InLEX KOREA 2026 defense exhibition and drew officials from U.S. Forces Korea, foreign defense attachés, South Korean defense firms and overseas defense companies.

Kim Jin-ki, chairman of the Korea Association of Defense Industry Studies, said building an integrated air defense network is directly tied to national survival in modern and future warfare. He called for closer governance among the military, industry, academia and research institutions.

Rep. Yoo Yong-won, a member of the National Assembly’s defense committee, said South Korea must move faster to advance its missile defense system and secure next-generation air defense capabilities as global interest grows in the Cheongung-II missile interceptor system.

Kim Ki-won, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said lessons from the Israel-Iran conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war point to a major shift in air defense strategy.

“Simply increasing the number of interceptors has limits when facing saturation attacks such as drone swarms,” Kim said.

He said South Korea needs AI-based intelligent engagement control and a smart defense network that links multiple sensors into one system.

Sean McLay, Asia-Pacific business development director at Northrop Grumman, said modern attacks are increasingly combining ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

McLay said South Korea should move away from platform-centered air defense systems and toward a network-centered integrated architecture that connects sensors, command and control and engagement assets.

Northrop Grumman developed the Integrated Battle Command System, which is used by the United States and Poland. The system is built around the concept of linking any sensor to the best available shooter, allowing commanders to match threat data with the most effective response.

Former Air Force 3rd Missile Defense Brigade commander Moon Oh-sun said South Korea’s individual air defense weapons have already reached a world-class level but remain limited by organizational barriers.

“To maximize combat effectiveness, we must break down the closed and isolated silo structure among the military branches,” Moon said. “Complete integration of information sharing and command decision systems is essential.”

Kim Dae-young, a military research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said South Korea must also prepare for the reality that no missile defense system can intercept every threat.

Operating on the premise that “perfect interception does not exist,” Kim said South Korea should build a multilayered survival structure that allows national functions to continue even if missile defenses fail. He cited the need for public air raid shelters and other measures to help the country withstand attacks.

South Korean defense companies also presented domestic technology related to integrated air defense.

Jung Won-woo, head of LIG D&A’s air defense control development team, introduced integrated fire control network technology based on data distribution service middleware. His presentation focused on the transition from engagement control to integrated fire control.

The conference ended with a panel discussion chaired by Joo Kwang-sup, a visiting research fellow at the Sejong Institute and a retired Army brigadier general. Panelists discussed how South Korea can build an integrated air and missile defense system suited to future security conditions.

Han Kwon-hee, planning director at the Korea Association of Defense Industry Studies, said the association will work to ensure the ideas raised at the conference help strengthen South Korea’s integrated air defense capabilities and improve the global competitiveness of the country’s defense industry.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260609010003032

June 9 (Asia Today) — South Korea and the United States share the view that Seoul’s push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines would provide an important alliance capability, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry said the issue was discussed last week during the inaugural meeting to implement the South Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet, known as JFS, and that the talks proceeded on the premise that the submarines would be built in South Korea.

A Foreign Ministry official told reporters that the U.S. delegation did not raise any particular objection to domestic construction of the submarines.

U.S. President Donald Trump previously said on social media that South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarines would be built at Philly Shipyard in the United States, but officials from the two countries discussed the project on the premise of construction in South Korea, the official said.

“Both sides share the view that South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarines would be an important alliance capability for South Korea’s leading role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula,” the official said.

The official said the submarine plan is intended to strengthen security in response to conditions on the Korean Peninsula and is not aimed at any specific country.

On South Korea’s push to expand its uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing rights, the official said the two sides agreed that strengthening their nuclear energy partnership serves their common interests and decided to begin full-scale talks on ways to make that happen.

South Korea faces the challenge of overcoming restrictions under its civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, commonly known as the 123 Agreement, to expand enrichment and reprocessing rights.

Diplomatic circles have discussed options including a full or partial revision of the agreement or passage of separate special legislation.

“The joint fact sheet talks are aimed at strengthening South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation,” the Foreign Ministry official said. “In broad terms, this can be understood as looking at ways to adjust the current 123 Agreement.”

The launch meeting was held June 2-3 after a delay of about seven months. Foreign Ministry officials described the atmosphere as positive.

One official said the U.S. side gave the impression that it was serious about the talks. Another said the meeting proceeded in a constructive atmosphere.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also made an unannounced visit to a working lunch on the second day of the talks to encourage the delegations.

The government remains cautious, however, because of the details of the negotiations, concerns in the United States over nonproliferation norms and uncertainty surrounding Trump’s decision-making style.

“The overall perception of South Korea’s commitment to nonproliferation is the most important thing,” the Foreign Ministry official said. “We must make efforts to avoid sending unnecessary messages.”

President Lee Jae Myung’s remarks at his first-anniversary news conference Monday, where he criticized calls for South Korea to develop nuclear weapons as “truly irresponsible,” were seen as reflecting that concern.

The government is coordinating the schedule for follow-up talks with Washington.

The Foreign Ministry official said the two sides agreed to accelerate consultations. Several more full meetings led by the two countries’ national security councils are expected, along with frequent working-level talks by sectoral delegations.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260609010003009

Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic reports from Belfast, where protests over a recent stabbing have escalated into violent riots. Tensions flared after a Sudanese asylum seeker was charged with attempted murder. Riot police have deployed to the scene as buses and vehicles are set alight.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces began launching ‘self-defence’ strikes against Iran, holding Tehran responsible for downing a US Army Apache helicopter. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher has the latest from the White House.

June 9 (Asia Today) — The U.S. Defense Department expanded its list of Chinese companies it says are linked to China’s military, adding about two dozen firms, including BYD, Alibaba, Baidu, WuXi AppTec and Unitree, according to U.S. media reports.

The annual list, known as the Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies, grew from last year as U.S. national security officials increased scrutiny of Beijing’s use of civilian technology to support military modernization.

The newly added companies span electric vehicles, e-commerce, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and robotics.

BYD is one of China’s leading electric vehicle makers. Alibaba operates e-commerce and cloud computing businesses, including in the United States. Baidu is active in internet search and artificial intelligence. WuXi AppTec is a major pharmaceutical and biotechnology services company, while Unitree is known for humanoid and quadruped robots.

The move shows the Trump administration is looking beyond semiconductors and AI chips as it assesses security risks tied to Chinese technology and industrial supply chains.

Chris McGuire, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former official at the State Department and National Security Council, said the action shows Washington is increasingly attentive to security risks from Chinese products in industries beyond semiconductors and AI.

China objected to the move.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said the Defense Department was overstretching the concept of national security and creating a discriminatory list targeting Chinese companies.

The updated list drew attention because it comes as Washington and Beijing have recently appeared to ease some trade tensions.

The United States had reportedly held back some measures against Chinese companies, including sanctions, high tariffs and cyber-related actions. An earlier version of the list expected in February was withdrawn ahead of a U.S.-China summit, according to U.S. media reports.

The summit, held in Beijing last month, focused heavily on trade issues.

Still, the Pentagon continues to view China as the United States’ main military competitor.

Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the trade atmosphere may have improved after the summit, but Washington’s basic assessment has not changed.

He said U.S. officials still believe major Chinese civilian technology companies are connected to China’s military modernization.

Companies placed on the list are barred from doing business with the U.S. military. The designation does not automatically impose broad sanctions, but it can create reputational risk, reduce access to U.S. government-related business and increase scrutiny from investors and regulators.

The commercial effect can vary by company.

SZ DJI Technology, the Chinese drone maker placed on the list in 2022, has continued to maintain a strong position in the U.S. consumer drone market despite its designation.

The latest additions show that Washington’s concerns about China’s military-civil fusion strategy are expanding from advanced chips and AI models into broader technology and manufacturing ecosystems.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260609010002864

June 9 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted active ingredients in over-the-counter sunscreens, the first addition to that list since the 1990s.

The Department of Health and Human Services “is advancing innovation by bringing a new sunscreen ingredient to the U.S. market for the first time in 20 years,” HHS Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr said. “Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades, and FDA’s action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products.

The FDA said the ingredient has low levels of absorption through the skin and into the body and is generally recognized as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months old and older.

The American Chemical Society said that BEMT blocks ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B light rays and was first used in sunscreens in the European Union in 2000, with Canada, Australia and some countries in Asia following suit soon after.

UV B rays have more energy, cause visible sunburns and are the ones blocked by most U.S. sunscreens today. However, UV A rays can also cause skin cancers, the American Cancer Society said. They also cause skin cells to age and can cause indirect damage to cells’ DNA. The ACS said about 95% of the UV rays that reach the ground are UV A rays.

The FDA said an over-the-counter monograph drug, such as a sunscreen product, can enter the market without an approved drug application if it meets certain requirements. DSM Nutritional Products LLC submitted an OTC monograph order request to add BEMT, at concentrations up to 6%, as a new active ingredient in the OTC monograph for sunscreens. The FDA proposed to add BEMT in December, and the public could submit comments through Jan. 26.

Israeli forces killed nine people in Tyre in the past 24 hours after it issued forced displacement orders on the city and continued deadly attacks across southern Lebanon.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, has unveiled the crew for its upcoming Artemis III spaceflight, a preparatory mission as the United States plans to return to the Moon.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, Luca Parmitano and Randy Bresnik will be leading the flight. Serving as a backup is veteran test pilot Bob Heintz, who is able to substitute into any role.

Their two-week mission will focus on collecting research and practising in-space docking procedures in preparation for a future Moon landing.

While no women were named to the Artemis III flight, the newly announced crew represents a range of experiences and backgrounds.

Making his first spaceflight is Florida-born engineer Douglas, 40, who was a backup crew member for NASA’s last major spaceflight, Artemis II, which flew a loop around the Moon.

Douglas will serve as mission specialist on Artemis III, and his presence on the flight will make him one of roughly two dozen African American people to travel to space, out of a population of hundreds of space travellers so far.

Also serving as mission specialist will be Rubio, a 50-year-old Salvadoran American physician who used to pilot Black Hawk helicopters for the US Army. He currently holds the record for the longest single-duration spaceflight by a US astronaut, at 371 days.

The oldest member of the four-man crew is its 58-year-old commander, Bresnik. A former US Navy test pilot and Marine, Bresnik is the only Artemis III crew member to have participated in a space shuttle mission, back in 2009. That programme has since been retired.

More recently, in 2017, Bresnik served as the commander for the International Space Station.

The fourth and final member of the Artemis III mission is its pilot, Parmitano, 49. He will be the only astronaut on the mission who is not a US citizen.

Born in Paterno, Italy, Parmitano has a background in his country’s air force. In 2019, he too served as commander on board the International Space Station, becoming the first Italian to do so.

“ Each of you possess a unique background,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, who introduced the astronauts. “Your vast experience and unwavering dedication to NASA’s mission enables you to help make us and take this next great step in space exploration.”

The Artemis III mission will be a public-private partnership. Three rockets will blast off as part of the initiative.

One will carry the four-man crew into orbit around Earth in an Orion spacecraft. Another two rockets will bear aloft Moon lander models from Blue Origin and SpaceX, private firms owned respectively by tech entrepreneurs Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

The Orion spacecraft will then practice rendezvous procedures with each of the two landers, in preparation for similar manoeuvres during future Moon missions. The Artemis III flight is set to take off before the end of 2027.

“Artemis III will be an extraordinary demonstration of what is possible when the greatest aerospace companies across the United States, alongside our European partners, come together to showcase the technological might and ambition of the free world,” said Isaacman, a Trump appointee who has experience commanding private space flights for SpaceX.

Explosion prompts concern

The mood at Tuesday’s unveiling ceremony was celebratory, as each newly announced astronaut took the stage to soaring music and standing ovations.

But looming over the event were concerns related to the explosion of an uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket in Florida on May 28.

That blast sent a mushroom cloud billowing above the city of Cape Canaveral, and it caused severe damage to a launchpad complex where the takeoff was scheduled.

Representatives from both NASA and Blue Origin, however, took the stage to wave aside any concerns.

“While we recognise there are questions about how Blue Origin’s recent anomaly impacts our plans, setbacks are a learning opportunity,” said Jeremy Parsons, NASA’s acting deputy administrator.

He added that NASA was taking an “active role” with its partners to “ensure the right outcomes are achieved”. The private firms, in turn, were granted “unparalleled access” to NASA experts, technology and test facilities.

“We are confident that New Glenn will be ready for Artemis III, together with Blue Origin,” Parsons said.

John Couluris, a representative for Blue Origin, likewise described the May 28 explosion as an “anomaly”.

“We’ve redoubled our efforts and are moving forward,” Couluris said, describing Blue Origin’s factories as “running around-the-clock shifts” to be ready for the Artemis III launch.

“We will measure ourselves not only by our successes but how we respond to setbacks.”

Race to the Moon

The race to beat China’s space programme was another theme that cropped up during Monday’s ceremony.

Several speakers alluded to China’s growing lunar landing programme, a rival to NASA’s efforts.

Earlier this year, the China Manned Space Agency announced its intentions to place a person on the Moon by 2030. Already, in 2024, China became the first country to retrieve soil samples from the far side of the Moon using robotics.

But lunar missions have been a point of pride for the US, which holds the distinction of completing the first crewed mission to the Moon in 1969.

Last April, the Artemis II flight marked the US’s return to lunar travel. For the first time since 1972, a crewed capsule flew beyond low Earth orbit, and it broke records for the farthest crewed flight into space.

Next year’s Artemis III mission is set to build on that effort. The administration of US President Donald Trump has signalled it would like to see astronauts land on the Moon before the Republican leader’s term ends in January 2029.

NASA officials have also described the Artemis programme as a stepping stone to establishing a permanent base on the Moon. Various speakers on Monday highlighted that vision.

Couluris, the Blue Origin representative, called the Moon an “eighth continent” for humans to explore.

NASA scientist Nicky Fox, meanwhile, described the Artemis III mission as part of the preparatory work that would enable the US “to plant astronaut boots back on the lunar surface — to stay”.

But the US’s lunar programme has faced numerous setbacks, as NASA engineers work to address technical issues that could otherwise cause life-threatening situations in deep space.

Originally, Artemis III was supposed to mark the US’s return to the Moon, bearing a crew to the lunar surface. But in February, that plan was scrapped in favour of the present-day project, which focuses on conducting practice drills in low Earth orbit.

“We will use this mission to reduce risk for our future crewed Moon missions with lander test articles from both Blue Origin and SpaceX, to ensure we will beat China back to the Moon,” Parsons said on Tuesday.

“This mission is deliberately designed to take calculated risks so that future crews will be safer and ultimately successful when we put boots on the lunar surface.”

Still, officials applauded Artemis III as a major step towards human beings reaching the Moon once more.

In a recorded statement, Senator Ted Cruz suggested that the Artemis III mission would also put the US a step ahead of China.

“At a time of growing competition with China in space, this mission will strengthen America’s leadership, expand our economy, and help secure a lasting American lunar presence,” he said.

“When America commits to a mission, we lead and we succeed.”

BUENOS AIRES, June 9 (UPI) — International fashion, luxury and sports brands are accelerating expansion into Argentina after years of absence, driving multimillion-dollar investments and prompting the country’s leading shopping mall operators to expand capacity to meet growing demand for retail space.

The renewed interest from foreign companies reflects Argentina’s changing economic environment since President Javier Milei took office.

Looser import restrictions and other market-opening measures have revived the appeal of a market that for years had been left out of the expansion plans of many international firms.

The expansion comes despite a challenging consumer environment. According to consulting firm Scentia, sales of mass-market consumer goods fell 3.8% year over year in April 2026 and were down 3.3% during the first four months of the year.

Federico Vaccarezza, an economist and professor in Austral University’s Faculty of Business Sciences, told UPI that international brands closely monitor sales data from Argentina’s leading shopping malls because they reflect the behavior of the consumers targeted by their products.

He noted that many of these brands are not seeking to reach the broader population, but rather higher-income consumers — a segment that has shown greater resilience in maintaining spending levels despite economic difficulties.

Vaccarezza said those groups represent roughly the top 10% to 20% of income earners in Argentina.

The international chains that have announced plans to enter Argentina are focusing their projects on Buenos Aires’ most exclusive shopping centers and key cities across the country. The trend includes companies entering the market for the first time, brands returning after years away and firms expanding existing operations.

International companies view Argentina as a long-term opportunity because of its market size, with more than 45 million residents, and expectations surrounding recent economic changes.

The influx of brands is already affecting the commercial real estate sector. Shopping mall operators report growing demand for retail space from foreign companies.

To meet that demand, several groups have accelerated expansion and construction projects. Chilean retailer Cencosud, one of Latin America’s largest retail groups, will invest $60 million to expand Unicenter, Argentina’s largest shopping mall, betting on rising demand for commercial space from international brands.

The project will add more than 215,000 square feet of space and 85 new stores by 2027.

“This expansion represents a concrete long-term commitment to Argentina,” Dolores Fernández Lobbe, country manager of Cencosud Argentina, told La Nación.

Meanwhile, IRSA, Argentina’s largest shopping mall operator and owner of some of the country’s most valuable retail assets, including Alto Palermo, Patio Bullrich, Alcorta Shopping and DOT, is moving forward with three new developments in the Buenos Aires area and the cities of La Plata and Mar del Plata. The company has not opened a new shopping center since 2015, when it inaugurated a project in the Patagonian province of Neuquén.

“Shopping mall customers are still there. What has changed is that competition on prices is now more intense,” IRSA President Eduardo Elsztain told La Nación.

According to business news outlet iProfesional, the expansion spans multiple sectors. Fashion, beauty, sports equipment, accessories and luxury goods are among the industries seeking to capitalize on Argentina’s new economic environment.

June is expected to be one of the busiest months for store openings. U.S.-based Skechers will open a new location, while Dolce & Gabbana will launch its first store in Argentina.

In July, Bullpadel, a company specializing in padel equipment, will enter the market. Padel has experienced rapid growth across Latin America in recent years.

U.S. apparel company Lucky Brand will enter Argentina through a partnership with local group Oxford. According to La Nación, the company plans an initial $1 million investment, will open its first store in July and aims to develop a network of 30 standalone stores across the country.

The company also plans to align prices with those in the U.S. market to compete with other brands in the segment.

Spanish fashion retailer Mango confirmed its return to Argentina through a franchise agreement with local group Grimoldi. The company plans to open five stores over the next five years, including a first location at Alto Palermo scheduled for September.

Vaccarezza said 2025 was a favorable year for Argentina’s shopping malls, although the trend began to weaken in 2026, with sales declining about 5% in the first quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.

The economist said looser import regulations and previously unmet demand help explain foreign companies’ interest in Argentina. He added that investment decisions by international brands are driven primarily by market-specific studies rather than broader economic indicators.

“It is a calculated risk. Companies have a clear understanding of the consumers they want to reach. The results will become evident later,” he said.

Economist and consultant Néstor Requelme expressed a similar view, saying the arrival of new international brands reflects recent economic changes and the presence of consumers with strong purchasing power.

Martín Burgos, an economist and researcher at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, or Flacso, said the arrival of new companies could increase competition and help lower clothing prices in Argentina, a market that has historically been more expensive than many others.

“There is a policy aimed at reducing clothing prices. For years, apparel prices in Argentina were above international levels, and the easing of import restrictions is facilitating the arrival of these brands,” he told UPI.

However, Burgos agreed that many of the companies entering the country are primarily targeting higher-income consumers, one of the segments that has best withstood recent economic changes.

“The data show that overall consumption remains weak, but these brands are targeting consumers with greater purchasing power. For that reason, their expansion does not necessarily reflect a broad recovery in consumer spending,” he said.

June 9 (UPI) — An assistant of Jeffrey Epstein told members of the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday that she was unaware of his crimes but that he was a master manipulator.

Lesley Groff, Epstein’s then-executive assistant, told the committee that she believed the massage appointments she made for Epstein with young women and girls were with massage therapists, two sources told CNN. She said Epstein had every reason to keep his crimes secret from her.

Groff helped manage Epstein’s life, including making appointments with women, setting meetings with powerful people and arranging Epstein’s flights with the young women. She worked for Epstein for nearly 20 years, and her name was listed in the Epstein files more than 150,000 times.

Epstein, a billionaire financier and registered sex offender, died by suicide in prison in 2019.

Groff told the lawmakers that she wants to help and that since Epstein was arrested, she’s lost friends and her family has faced harassment.

Groff said Epstein didn’t sexually abuse her, one of the sources told CNN, and that she didn’t need the job. She said that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell told her not to associate with their friends, and they insisted that their business was none of hers.

Survivors told a different story.

Sharlene Rochard was skeptical that Groff didn’t know about the crimes.

“One of the hardest parts for survivors is hearing the people who were closest to Epstein claim they saw nothing,” Rochard told CNN. “That doesn’t match my experience. Survivors deserve answers, not claims of ignorance.”

In a previous statement, Groff’s lawyer told CNN that she worked for Epstein as “part of a professional staff that included in-house attorneys, accountants and other office staff” and that her job included making appointments for Epstein, “taking his messages and setting up high-level meetings with CEOs, business executives, scientists, politicians, celebrities, charitable organizations and universities.”

Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told MSNow that the panel has referred two names to the Department of Justice, though he didn’t identify them.

“I think the interviews that we’ve done have been very productive,” Comer told reporters on Tuesday morning.

“We’re bringing in the most important people in the whole Epstein criminal enterprise that are still alive, and hopefully we’ll get the proof to the American people that there’s an opportunity for accountability,” Comer said.

The committee is scheduled to interview Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Wednesday.