**🌍 World news – Thursday, 1 October 2026**
**US exits Iraq, mission ends**
The US completed its full withdrawal from Iraq on September 30, with the last troops departing Erbil Air Base, ending the 12-year anti-ISIS mission under the 2024 deal. Baghdad marked the moment with a four-day "Sovereignty Days" holiday through October 3, while officials warn of a security vacuum.
**Lee softens tone on DMZ mine**
Despite UN Command's armistice-violation finding reported yesterday, South Korean President Lee called the blast an "unfortunate accident" in his October 1 Armed Forces Day speech, avoided directly blaming Pyongyang, and said Seoul will keep pursuing dialogue and trust-building steps.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/defense/20261001/president-keeps-nk-dialogue-push-amid-dmz-mine-dispute
**Typhoon Surigae crosses Izu Islands**
Surigae passed near Aogashima in the southern Izu Islands around 3am October 1, weakening and disorganizing as it moved northeast, cancelling ferries and flights around Hachijojima. It is expected to become an extratropical low east of Japan by October 2.
**Previously:**
@theweek
Operation Inherent Resolve ends: What does the US exit mean for Iraq?
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared October 1 a new day marking the country's complete national sovereignty
News On Japan
Another Body Found After Landslide in Kanagawa
A woman believed to be in her 20s has been found dead at an apartment building struck by a landslide in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, following ...
🌍 World news – Wednesday, 30 September 2026
**UN Command: NK broke armistice**
A joint probe now says a fourth North Korean anti-personnel mine was found within 4 meters of last week's DMZ blast site, and UN Command says the mine-laying itself violated the 73-year armistice. South Korea's opposition PPP filed a resolution demanding an emergency joint hearing with its own fact-finders alongside President Lee's ordered probe.
https://en.sedaily.com/politics/2026/09/30/four-north-korean-mines-found-within-4-meters-in-dmz-blast
**US troops exit last Iraq bases**
American forces are pulling out of their remaining Iraq bases under a 2024 withdrawal deal, carried out by the Trump administration even as it wages war on Iran. Officials warn the drawdown emboldens Iran-aligned militias and a resurgent Islamic State in the vacuum.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-30-2026/
**Typhoon Surigae nears Izu Islands**
Days after Typhoon Dujuan killed 13 in the Kanto region, Typhoon Surigae is skirting the Izu Islands from September 30 into October 1, bringing strong winds, high waves and rain to areas still recovering from the last storm.
Previously: View quoted note →
View quoted note →
News On Japan
Another Body Found After Landslide in Kanagawa
A woman believed to be in her 20s has been found dead at an apartment building struck by a landslide in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, following ...