Highs, lows and a perfect rogan josh at Canberra's new Indian arrival

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has called for stronger cooperation among Korea, China and Japan to promote peace and prosperity in their shared region, his office said Wednesday. Cho made the call during a meeting Tuesday with Tatsushi Nishioka, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), and Deputy Secretaries-General Kim Han-kyu and Li Jing, respectively from South Korea and China, to congratulate them on taking office this month, according to the ministry. The TCS is a trilateral organization established in Seoul in 2011 following a Korean proposal at the second trilateral summit among the three nations in 2009. It carries out various programs, including people-to-people exchanges, aimed at deepening three-way cooperation. During the talks, Cho stressed the importance of cooperation among Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo in promoting the practical interests of their peoples and achieving peace and prosperity in East Asia. He said the Korean government will continue to play an active role in helping the three countries find common ground and maintain dialogue while asking the

WASHINGTO — U.S. President Donald Trump could announce Korea's investment projects in the United States, including a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, under last year's bilateral trade agreement, as early as Wednesday, according to a news report. Reuters reported Tuesday that Trump could announce his administration's plans to use Korea's strategic investment fund for several major projects, including approximately $54 billion for the Alaska LNG project. It cited two people familiar with the discussions. Seoul and Washington have been in coordination to announce the investment projects under the trade agreement that committed the Asian country to investing $300 billion in the U.S. in return for lower U.S. tariffs on Korean goods. Last week, Seoul's industry ministry reported to the National Assembly that the two countries have chosen the construction of a large-scale gas-fired power plant in Texas as the first investment project, according to sources in Seoul. As for the second and third projects, the ministry reported plans for the construction of eight large-scale nuclear

North Korea on Wednesday denied South Korea's announcement that a North Korean mine likely caused a recent blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), accusing Seoul of fabricating the findings and warning of "immediate and merciless" retaliation if its troops are fired upon. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued the warning in a statement after the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced Monday that North Korean land mines were "highly likely" to have caused the explosion on Sept. 21 that left three South Korean soldiers injured. "What should not be overlooked is the fact that the armed gangsters of the ROK are now cooking up the groundless results and 'justifying their conduct' for political and military provocation against the DPRK, openly talking about 'reasonable and corresponding enforcement of measures,'" Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republi

The U.S. Department of Defense is using South Korea's efforts to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States as a chance to drive "generational" improvements in the Asian country's warfighting capability, a senior Pentagon official has said. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby made the remarks in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration seeks to complete the conditions-based OPCON transition before its term ends in 2030. "As the ROK accelerates efforts to assume wartime operational control over ROK forces, the Department is using this opportunity to incentivize generational improvements in ROK warfighting capability," Colby said in the statement. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. He also noted that the department is continuing to modernize the Seoul-Washington alliance, strengthening U.S. conventional posture in South Korea "against all regional threats," as Washington seeks to leverage its alliance network to bolster Indo-Pacific secu

WASHINGTON — South Korea's top envoy to the United States on Tuesday reiterated Seoul's commitment to helping Washington and Pyongyang build confidence and resume dialogue, stressing that maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula is Seoul's "top priority." Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks during an event celebrating the Korean National Day and Armed Forces Day in Washington, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his hope to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un within the year. "We closely follow President Trump's recent messages, demonstrating his commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula and his willingness to resume U.S.-North Korea dialogue," Kang said, noting that Seoul continues to coordinate closely with Washington on North Korea policy. "As a party directly concerned, the Republic of Korea government will actively take the role of a pacemaker and seek to create conditions that allow for constructive discussions toward building confidence and resuming dialogue between the United States and North Korea," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name.

He was accused of spying on a Buddhist group.

The Greens selected NSW senator David Shoebridge as the party's new leader on Wednesday, following Larissa Waters' resignation.

Taiwan’s military plans to spend more than NT$27 billion (US$850 million) to quadruple critical ammunition stocks to 120 days’ supply, strengthening its ability to sustain combat operations during a wartime blockade. The proposed six-year “urgent ammunition replenishment” programme, running from this year until 2031, comes as Taipei seeks to strengthen its ability to keep fighting if a cross-strait conflict cuts external supply lines. The spending proposal was revealed on September 26 and still...

The two-month extension of the US-China trade truce remains fragile despite last week’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, with modest economic concessions leaving deeper disputes unresolved, Asia Society Policy Institute analysts said on Tuesday. “In my view, this truce is very fragile,” said Wendy Cutler, an Asia Society Policy Institute vice-president and former acting deputy US trade representative. “I think they’re testing each other.” Xi’s three-day state visit to...

Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and latest policy address have put demographic sustainability on the public agenda. Among the measures announced are an extension of the newborn bonus scheme and increased financial support for the second and subsequent children. These are welcome steps. But the fertility debate should not be reduced to whether a bonus is large enough to change family decisions. The bigger challenge is whether Hong Kong can remain dynamic and competitive while its younger...

A family of four was sent to hospital on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out at a public housing estate in Sha Tin, prompting the evacuation of around 140 residents. Police received a report at 6.48am as thick smoke poured from a mid-rise flat in Yan Chuen House at Shui Chuen O Estate. The family tried to put out the fire, which started at their TV stand, but failed to do so, and subsequently escaped, police said. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire at around 7.10am. All four...