President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday the government has made utmost efforts on tariff negotiations with the United States, but he can't say whether the talks could be concluded by July 8, a deadline set by US President Donald Trump.

Lee made the remark during the press conference marking his first month in office, as Seoul and Washington continue talks to reduce the 25 percent reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, reports news agency.

South Korea is "doing our best" for tariff talks with the U.S., but Lee said, "At this point, it is difficult to say with certainty whether they can be concluded by July 8."

South Korea's foreign reserves rebounded in June from the lowest level in five years, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's foreign reserves stood at US$410.2 billion as of end-June, up $5.61 billion from a month earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the largest amount since January when the foreign reserves amounted to $411.01 billion.

The figure had declined for two consecutive months since April, reaching the lowest level since April 2020, when foreign reserves stood at $403.98 billion, reports news agency.

Last month's increase was attributed to a rise in the U.S. dollar-converted value of foreign currency assets denominated in other currencies due to a weaker dollar, as well as higher investment returns, the BOK said.

At least four people, including senior provincial government officials, were killed and 11 others injured in a powerful roadside bomb blast targetting a convoy in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, officials said.

The explosion took place near Phatak Mela area along Nawagai Road in Bajaur district, where a double-cabin vehicle carrying two senior government officials, including Assistant Commissioner of Nawagai Faisal Sultan, was struck by an improvised explosive device, local police said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday issued an order to enact a law to suspend the country's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The law calls for a suspension of cooperation with the IAEA until Iran's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its nuclear facilities and scientists are fully guaranteed, said Constitutional Council Spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif.

Pezeshkian issued the order on Tuesday in a letter to the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council, said the report.

The Trump administration has halted part of military aid to Ukraine following a review of US own stockpiles, the White House and Pentagon confirmed.

"This decision was made to put America's interests first following a review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.

The move came amid concerns about US military stockpiles falling too low, multiple US media outlets reported, citing informative sources.

Last month US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo ordering a review of the US stockpile of munitions, in the aftermath of three years of aid to Ukraine, recent strikes on Yemen's Houthi group and Iran, news agency reported.

South Korean former President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear for a special counsel team's second round of questioning over his martial law bid this weekend, his lawyers said Wednesday.

Yoon has accepted special counsel Cho Eun-suk's summons to appear at his office at 9 a.m. Saturday after withdrawing an earlier request to change the time to 10 a.m., the lawyers said.

"It appears unlikely he will arrive at 9 a.m. sharp, but even if he is 10 to 20 minutes late, he will appear and testify," the lawyers said in a statement. "Generally speaking, his plan is not to avoid an appearance but to proactively go and testify."

Two Chinese nationals have been charged in the US with engaging in espionage activities on behalf of China, including photographing a naval base, coordinating a clandestine cash drop, and attempting to recruit members of the US military, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday (Indian time).

The federal case, filed in San Francisco and unsealed on Monday (US time), is the latest in a series of prosecutions aimed at curbing what American officials describe as the Chinese government's relentless efforts to gather intelligence on US military operations.

The allegations echo a broader trend, which gained international attention two years ago when a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down over the coast of South Carolina.

"This case underscores the Chinese government's sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within," said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement.

The US-India COMPACT, a multifaceted programme for cooperation between the two countries, was the centrepiece of the meeting between External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

"The Secretary affirmed the strength of the US-India relationship, highlighting implementation of the US-India COMPACT, which will enhance our two nations' collaboration on trade, defence, energy, countering illegal immigration, counternarcotics, and more," she said.

Jaishankar posted on X that they "discussed our bilateral partnership, including trade, security, critical technologies, connectivity, energy, and mobility" and "shared perspectives on regional and global developments."

Earlier, they had both participated in the Quad ministerial meeting with Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Iwaya Takeshi of Japan.

The US Justice Department has sued the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council, asking a federal judge to strike down the city's "sanctuary" ordinance on the grounds it obstructs federal immigration enforcement.

Filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit on Monday argued that Los Angeles violated the Constitution's Supremacy Clause and two federal information-sharing statutes by forbidding local police and other agencies from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unless a suspect faces serious felony charges.

The Justice Department sought a court order blocking the ordinance, which took effect on December 9, 2024, after a unanimous council vote.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the policy was "the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles," according to a press statement issued on Monday. She called the suit part of President Donald Trump's pledge to "end lawless sanctuary jurisdictions."

Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has sought US support for the country's democratic transition and reaffirmed that elections would be held "in the early part of next year" during his conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

During a telephone conversation on Monday, Rubio and Yunus discussed the ongoing reform process, transition to democracy, the upcoming general election, and aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Yunus assured Rubio that the ongoing dialogue between his government and political parties would result in much-needed reforms of the country's political system.

"The 15-minute discussion was warm, cordial, and constructive, reflecting the strong bilateral engagement between the two nations. Secretary Rubio expressed support for Bangladesh's reform agenda and its move to hold elections early next year," the Bangladesh Chief Advisor posted on X.