South Korea presses Iran over seized oil tanker as Gulf tensions rise

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the incursion off its east coast lasted roughly 10 minutes. Beijing later said the warplanes entering South Korea's air defense identification zone was part of an exercise.

The latest round of talks over international monitoring of Iran's nuclear program did not lead to any breakthroughs, said the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a preliminary agreement remains "possible" as international negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme have just resumed in Vienna in an attempt to salvage the 2015 agreement. But there is "little time left" according to Grossi, and Tehran must guarantee more transparency to the IAEA, in Iran's own interest.

South Korea garnered early success in battling COVID-19. But as the country has begun to open up, daily case numbers have hit new highs. The government is considering reimposing restrictions. For businesses already struggling, that is not good news.

Around 5,000 people every day are crossing the border from Afghanistan into Iran. While Tehran is deporting thousands every week, many are still setting out on the perilous journey that often begins in the city of Herat.

Foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool threatened the Kremlin with fresh economic sanctions in the event of an invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Tehran was told that time is running out to revive the nuclear deal.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have signed a defense deal worth 1 billion Australian dollars as the two countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.

With Tehran feared to be weeks away from a point of no return on nuclear weapons, are we looking down the barrel of an arms race in the Middle East? With little optimism in the air for the current round of talks in Vienna, where might this leave the Biden administration? Does the US have the stomach for a fight? And is a fight really what's unfolding? Traditional lines in the sand seem to be out the window as the same Gulf states that are cementing new ties with Israel are also keeping channels open with Tehran.

European diplomats have called a pause in talks on Iran's nuclear program "disappointing." EU envoy Enrique Mora has said only weeks remain to save the deal, as Iran ramps up uranium enrichment.

If teens are playing video games for hours and hours, parents or teachers might grow concerned. Not so in South Korea where excelling in online gaming is becoming a legitimate career path with big investments behind it.

US national security advisor Jake Sullivan is in Israel to discuss Iran and other issues. In Jerusalem, Sullivan said Iran may exhaust diplomacy within weeks.

South Korea Justice Ministry seeks to "heal social conflicts" ahead of the March 2022 elections. The two main candidates are neck-and-neck in the polls.