Albanese backflips on controversial disaster funding following backlash

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Friday reiterated Pyongyang's rejection of South Korea's offer to provide humanitarian medical assistance, criticizing the gesture as a "farce." Kim's statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) came a day after she rejected Seoul's plan to send 1,431 medical items across 166 categories to a hospital in Pyongyang, as part of a humanitarian medical support program. She called the offer an "insult" and "political provocation." "The racket of 'mine explosion' and the farce of 'medical equipment support' orchestrated by the ROK are just the two sides of the same coin minted by its inveterate bad habit of escalating confrontation with our state." ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. Kim claimed that South Korea's medical aid proposal and its accusations against North Korea over a recent land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border were intended to damage Pyongyang's reputation and image. North Korea has denied responsibility for the Sept. 21 mine blast insi

The industry ministry on Friday formally dismissed a local news report alleging U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had voiced dissatisfaction with South Korea's spy agency during bilateral negotiations on strategic investment projects. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources issued the denial in response to a local newspaper article claiming Lutnick had conveyed Washington's discontent with South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS). "We clearly state that the claim that Commerce Secretary Lutnick expressed distrust of the NIS to Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan during negotiations on strategic investment projects in the U.S. is not true," the ministry said. The ministry called on the newspaper to report accurately to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and confusion. The NIS issued a similar notice to the press, saying it had received no information regarding the alleged remark by Lutnick. Washington has partially restricted Seoul's access to intelligence on North Korea-related technology since April in protest against the unification minister's disclosure of information

North Korea has held a series of events marking the upcoming founding anniversary of the country's ruling party, state media reported Friday, revving up a festive mood ahead of this week's celebration. The General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea and the Socialist Women's Union of Korea held separate concerts Thursday in celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Workers' Party, which falls on Saturday this year, according to the Rodong Sinmun, one of the North's most-widely read newspapers. China's Ambassador to Pyongyang Wang Yajun also delivered a flower basket to the North's ruling party on behalf of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on Thursday to mark the anniversary, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). A separate flower basket from the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang was also delivered alongside those from other foreign missions in the country, including Vietnam, Iran and Cuba. The U.S.-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that preparations for a possible celebratory event for the anniversary appear to be under way at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang,

Timothy Blamires, a Victorian teacher arrested in April, has been hit with 11 new charges after the number of alleged victims and incidents grew.

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Lawmakers and engineering sector leaders have called for a review of Hong Kong’s building inspection mechanism and a blacklist to bar errant contractors from government tenders, after Hong Kong’s first privately built “starter homes” project hit a snag over shoddy steel work. The government should review the inspection regime and increase its supervisory manpower, lawmakers and engineers said on Friday, calling for inspectors to be stationed at construction sites of private-sector-built...

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One person was left injured following an interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York City on Thursday.

Avanti and Northern are among the trains to and from Stockport cancelled

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