Geopolitics

North Korea, Venezuela sign military pact

On Oct. 2 in Pyongyang, one day after North Korea’s latest missile test, Venezuela and North Korea “signed a series of agreements pledging military and technological cooperation,” according to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. Read More.

Conservatives take to the streets, shake Seoul government

Scandal-plagued South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk resigned on Oct. 14 as the opposition turned up the heat on the leftist Moon Jae-In administration, charging a dual system of justice and discrimination against North Korean defectors. Read More.

'We will never stop,' Turkey's Erdogan vows

Despite “threats from right and left” calling on Turkey to cease its assault on Kurds in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the operation will continue. Read More.

Ukraine to probe its 'alleged meddling' in 2016 U.S. election

Ukraine is set to open an investigation into an alleged Ukrainian plot to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election in Hillary Clinton’s favor. Read More.

China pulls out of Iran energy project amid U.S. pressure

China has withdrawn from a $5 billion deal to help develop Iran’s massive South Pars natural gas field. Read More.

Pompeo rebuts Graham on Syria

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to critics of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria by saying the mission to eradicate ISIS was a success and adding the move was not an authorization for Turkey to invade Syria. Read More.

Iran answers Turkish incursion with border exercises

As Turkey launched a long-awaited military offensive into northern Syria, Iran announced it was holding military exercises near its own border with Turkey. Read More.

Pompeo penalizes Chinese officials for repressing Muslims

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Oct. 8 announced Visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials who the State Department believes are “responsible for, or complicit in, the detention or abuse of Uighurs, Kazakhs, or other members of Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, China.” Read More.

Trump to pullout critics: 'We're going to be watching Turkey

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will be watching closely what Turkey does militarily in northern Syria after the U.S. announced it will pull its troops out of the area. Read More.

Chinese intelligence increasingly using Americans

Former U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency officer Ron Rockwell Hansen was sentenced last month to 10 years in prison for attempting to pass U.S. defense information to China. Read More.

Trump on Syria: Let Turkey, Russia, Iran 'figure' it out

Saying that it was “time for us to get out of these ridiculous endless wars,” President Donald Trump on Oct. 7 said the United States will withdraw its forces from northern Syria near the Turkish border. Read More.

4-month-old standoff: Hong Kong protesters writing wills

For the first time in 52 years, the Beijing-controlled leader of Hong Kong on Oct. 4 invoked a British colonial-era emergency law which includes a ban on the wearing of masks at protests. Read More.

Durham probing Clinton team's engagement with foreign leaders

Attorney General William Barr appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham to investigate something former special counsel Robert Mueller ignored. Read More.

3 million conservative protesters rock Seoul

An estimated 3 million protesters, some waving Korean and American flags, gathered near City Hall in Seoul on Oct. 3 to call for the ouster of liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-In and the resignation of scandal-plagued Justice Minister Cho Kuk. Read More.

Think again: Pentagon nudges Seoul on Tokyo intel ties

The United States has asked South Korea to reconsider its rushed termination of a military intelligence sharing pact with Japan that rocked the regional alliance against China and North Korea. Read More.