First international flight departs new Western Sydney airport

Korean authorities are questioning a woman in her 30s after she made an unauthorized entry into a civilian restricted area near the inter-Korean border, a military official said Monday. The individual, whose identity has been withheld, was taken into custody Sunday after illegally entering the Civilian Control Line (CCL) south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the front-line border region of Cheorwon, about 80 kilometers northeast of Seoul, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said. "We have in custody an unidentified individual who, without authorization, approached military surveillance facilities in an area south of the general outpost and north of the CCL, and are investigating the exact circumstances with relevant agencies," a JCS official said. She is suspected of crossing the CCL on Saturday and reaching a front-line general outpost, where she attempted to damage military surveillance installations, including tampering with fiber-optic security sensors along the border fences on Saturday and Sunday, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. The CCL was establi

The unification ministry said Monday it hopes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's one-day trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong last week will lead to the resumption of dialogue with neighboring nations. Kim made a surprise visit to Dandong on Saturday, where he met with Wang Huning, China's fourth-highest-ranking official, as North Korea and China are seeking to deepen their traditional ties. "We hope the visit will contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and lead to the resumption of dialogue with neighboring countries," Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, said at a regular briefing. Responding to speculation that Kim's trip could be linked to a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Yoon said the government was "watching closely" and would do what it could in the event of such a meeting. On Kim's visit to a bus factory in Dandong, he said the ministry would watch developments without drawing conclusions, since North Korea had not specified the purpose of the visit. The factory stop was seen as a sign that Pyongyang wants to expand cooperation with

Korea plans to sell a farm in Argentina nearly 50 years after purchasing it during President Park Chung-hee’s rule to support agricultural immigration, following decades of the land sitting idle and requiring costly maintenance. The plan, outlined by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was submitted to Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and made public on Monday. Korea purchased the Yatamauca farm in Santiago del Estero, about 1,050 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, for $2.12 million in August 1978, toward the end of Park's term. Park served as Korea's president from 1961 until his assassination in 1979. Spanning 20,882 hectares (208.82 square kilometers), roughly one-third of Seoul’s area or 72 times the size of Yeouido, the farm was purchased to help Korean immigrants settle in Argentina and make a living through farming. The vision never materialized. Multiple surveys found the land unsuitable for development, while its upkeep has cost taxpayers billions of won. KOICA, the country’s

North Korean officials have paid tribute at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang in honor of fallen Chinese soldiers, state media reported Monday, after leader Kim Jong-un's surprise day trip to China's Dandong last week. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said senior officials laid wreaths at the monument Sunday to mark the 76th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' entry into the 1950-53 Korean War. Among them were Kim Hyong-sik, vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly standing committee, and Vice Foreign Minister Kim Myong-su. They were joined by Chinese embassy officials, including Qi Han, charge d'affaires ad interim, and a Chinese delegation led by Hong Zongming, vice minister of China's veterans affairs ministry. Wreaths were also laid at cemeteries and graves of Chinese soldiers in Anju, Hoechang County, Onsong County and Kaesong. The Chinese side hosted a reception later Sunday to mark the anniversary, the report added. The North Korean leader traveled to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday, a trip meant to showcase the decades-old alliance with China

Korea's state-led economic development model offers important lessons for Hungary, which has relied heavily on foreign direct investment (FDI) to drive economic growth, according to a Hungarian expert. Zoltan Pogatsa, a professor at the University of Sopron in Hungary, made the remarks during a seminar titled Hungary's Economic Strategy: Lessons from Korea's Development Experience, held at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul on Thursday. Pogatsa highlighted the contrasting economic development paths of the two countries, noting that Hungary has relied heavily on FDI since gaining autonomy over its economic policies following the end of Soviet domination, while Korea pursued a state-led development model, taking on substantial debt to subsidize domestic firms. With an FDI development strategy, Pogatsa argued that Hungary has limited its ability to develop globally competitive domestic brands and control its own supply chains, while Korea's strong government intervention to support domestic companies helped the country establish globally recognized brands such as Samsung and Hyundai. He

North Korea has sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) calling last month's land mine blast near the border an incident "fabricated" by South Korea, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. The North's move came less than a week after South Korea sent to the council its own letter calling on North Korea to apologize for the Sept. 21 mine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers and take responsibility for its violation of the Armistice Agreement. The letter, sent Sunday by Pyongyang's permanent representative to the United Nations, said Seoul "fabricated" the mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a "sinister" attempt to "impede" the North's border fortification work, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North described the fortification a "legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty going in strict conformity with the U.N. Charter and international law as it is a self-defensive measure to defend its territorial security from outside threat of aggression." It also accused the South Korean military of firing warning shots at

Live coverage of the SMH Good Food Guide Awards ceremony at Carriageworks.

The M60 is seeing major delays this morning

Kyle Quin Schrock, 36, from San Diego, California, was hiking in Madeira, Portugal on October 11 when his family said the trail suddenly crumbled beneath him and he plummeted to the ground.

'I cannot believe we’re the second major city, this would not stand in London.'

From Rochdale's lost "Norden Riviera" lido to an almost deserted East Lancashire Road, a remarkable new book featuring 600 unseen 1930s archive photographs captures Greater Manchester on the brink of WWII.

The Australian sharemarket has rebounded after an early fall to close in the green, with materials and energy stocks posting gains.