Second small boat lands undetected on Kent coast in as many days

This year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates its 96th National Day, observed annually on Sept. 23. The occasion commemorates the day in 1932 when the founding king, His Majesty King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, proclaimed the unification of the country under a single banner as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This followed a long journey of struggle and unification, culminating in the establishment of a strong and enduring state, uniting its people under the banner of Tawhid (the Oneness of God) and setting the kingdom on a path of nation-building and development for a more prosperous and stable future. On this cherished day, Saudis reflect on the journey of a nation founded on enduring values of pride in its faith, identity and sense of belonging. Passed down through successive generations, this journey has enabled the kingdom to become a model of development and transformation, firmly rooted in its historical legacy and authentic identity while advancing confidently toward new horizons of progress and innovation. The 96th National Day is celebrated under the slogan “Our Pride

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held summit talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday and agreed to cooperate closely to build stable regional energy supply chains. The two leaders reached the agreement during the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. The two leaders had a frank exchange of views on bilateral ties, energy supply chains, cooperation in the defense industry, as well as the international security situation, Seong said. They, in particular, reaffirmed that South Korea and Australia are key partners that rely on each other for energy resources such as liquefied natural gas and petroleum products as the countries jointly respond to the energy crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. "Additionally, they resolved to cooperate closely to build stable and resilient regional supply chains," Seong said. Albanese described South Korea as a trustworthy partner in the critical minerals and clean energy sectors, say

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong has departed for New York to attend the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly, state media reported Wednesday. A North Korean delegation, led by Kim, left Pyongyang on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, without disclosing details of his itinerary. Kim is set to take the floor Monday, the closing day of the General Debate, the annual high-level session where U.N. member states lay out their positions on major international issues. During last year's session, he used his address to reiterate Pyongyang's stance that it will never abandon its nuclear weapons. Following the failed 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang had not sent any minister-level officials for six years. North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song served as its representative instead. Previously, former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong attended the U.N. General Assembly from 2014-2015 and his successor, Ri Yong-ho, participated from 2016 to 2018.

NEW YORK — President Lee Jae Myung met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday and discussed cooperation between South Korea and the world body, as well as issues concerning the Korean Peninsula. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Lee's attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, marking their third in-person meeting since Lee took office in June last year. During the meeting, Lee highlighted his administration's efforts to build peaceful and mutually developmental coexistence between the two Koreas under the vision that building peace without the need to fight is the path toward the most secure peace, Lee's senior secretary for public affairs Seong Ghi-hong said in a press release. Lee also said he expects close communication and cooperation with the United Nations in pursuing the vision. Guterres expressed "active support" for Seoul's overall diplomatic policy, including its policy of building peace on the peninsula, pledging to play a possible role in helping bring the vision to fruition, Seong said. The U.N. chief also hailed the constructive role Ko

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his envisioned role as a "pacemaker" in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging efforts to help swiftly resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea. The South Korean president made the pledge in his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while inter-Korean relations remain at a standstill. "I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. can resume without delay," Lee said. "We will lay the groundwork for this (U.S.-North Korea dialogue) to develop into a dialogue between the related parties to end the war on the Korean Peninsula and transition into a peace regime." The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. "Fortunately, President Trump's resolve has recently created a hard-won opportunity for change," Lee said, referring to Trump's repeated expressions of interest in dialogue

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held summit talks Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed a number of pending issues, a South Korean official said. The 30-minute summit included discussions on Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean troops from Washington, as well as cooperation in shipbuilding, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters. This marks the third summit between Lee and Trump and reportedly the first time the envisioned wartime OPCON transfer has been discussed at the summit level. Tuesday's summit reportedly took place while Lee was attending a reception in New York hosted by Trump. During the summit, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue with North Korea, and the two leaders welcomed progress in bilateral strategic projects, Wi said. The leaders also resolved to communicate closely to help promote the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the Unit

North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol-ung has departed for Vietnam, state media reported Wednesday, amid deepening cooperation between the two nations. A delegation, led by Ryo, left Pyongyang the previous day, seen off by defense ministry officials, Vietnam's ambassador to North Korea and the embassy's defense attache, the Korean Central News Agency said. The report gave no details on the delegation's itinerary or the purpose of the trip. The visit comes as Pyongyang and Hanoi have stepped up efforts to deepen bilateral relations. Early this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening mutual ties in a letter to President To Lam, marking Vietnam's 81st founding anniversary. The two countries have been moving steadily closer since the October summit. Lam's visit at that time marked the first by a top Vietnamese leader to North Korea in 18 years. In May, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung visited the North for talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui. The following month, the two countries' security ministers held talks in Pyongy

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called the plight of families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War "the most pressing issue" facing the two Koreas. The president made the remarks in a statement marking the fourth Separated Families Day, read by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, as Lee is currently in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly. "Eight years have passed since the last reunion, and we can no longer afford to delay this," Lee said. "Families should be able to reach and see one another, no matter where in the world they live." He called on both Koreas to set aside hostility and confrontation in favor of respect and genuine exchange, adding that his government would keep pursuing the issue even with inter-Korean relations at a standstill. After reading the president's statement, Chung offered a personal reflection. He was born on July 27, 1953, the day the Korean War armistice was signed. That coincidence has always felt meaningful to him, Chung said, adding the two Koreas cannot remain "at war" forever and that the armistice should eventually give way to

President Lee Jae Myung has placed multilateralism at the center of his foreign policy at a time when North Korea refuses to engage South Korea and his government faces pressure to join a U.S.-led military mission in the Strait of Hormuz. His emphasis on multinational engagement with Pyongyang, including Beijing, has come as the reclusive regime continues to refuse to communicate with Seoul and while the anticipated Washington-Pyongyang dialogue has not resumed. Lee’s call for an alliance with other countries on the Hormuz issue also comes as U.S. President Donald Trump presses Seoul to make military contributions to help secure the vital waterway amid its monthslong war against Iran. Other U.S. allies have also been reluctant to deploy forces, leaving Lee to seek ways for South Korea to contribute without joining the fighting. Lee used his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (local time) to call for the North Korea issue to expand beyond U.S.-North Korea talks and instead toward discussions among all parties concerned with ending the Korean War and establishing

President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul during a summit in New York, Tuesday (local time). Although the issue has been under discussion for decades, it was the first time that it has been raised between Lee and Trump, according to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official. The 30-minute summit was arranged unexpectedly on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where Lee and Trump both delivered speeches. The official said Lee devoted “considerable time” to explaining Korea’s position on the transfer and Trump showed “a great deal of understanding” of the issue. The Lee administration has pursued retaking OPCON by 2028 or even 2027 if possible, but U.S. military officials have said necessary conditions would not be met until the first quarter of 2029. Regarding the OPCON transfer, Lee outlined Korea’s efforts to strengthen its own defense capabilities, including plans to increase defense spending, and reaffirmed its willingness to take greater responsibility for de

Hong Kong is expected to welcome about 1.29 million mainland Chinese travellers over the National Day “golden week” break, with city authorities planning to step up crowd management and tighten supervision of tour agencies and retail outlets. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Hong Kong’s No 2 official, chaired a meeting with various government departments on Wednesday to discuss preparations for the holiday on the mainland, which spans October 1 to 7. On top of the expected influx of about 1.29...

One of the nation’s most important social studies shows the proportion of people aged between 18 and 29 living in the family home has reached 49.9 per cent.