MP hits out at Leigh terraced house converted to five-bed HMO without planning permission

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Thursday rejected international calls for denuclearization as "all noises," calling the regime's nuclear status "absolute." She made the remarks in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as the 70th regular session of the IAEA General Conference is currently under way in Vienna, Austria. The conference has voiced concern over North Korea's expanding nuclear capacity, urging Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Ahead of the session, the agency also released the IAEA Director General's Safeguards Report on North Korea, detailing a substantial increase in Pyongyang's uranium enrichment capacity and the expansion of its core nuclear facilities. The North Korean leader's sister dismissed the calls as "all noises, not surprising and not new." "No matter how desperately the IAEA and the West may hold periodic meetings and talk about the denuclearization according to the fixed scenario, th

Korea will maintain a joint government response team in Nepal to continue efforts to locate nine Korean nationals who have remained missing since massive floods hit the country last month, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The move comes as the second contingent of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) is set to wrap up its seven-day mission later in the day and return home, in line with a decision made by a joint public-private emergency relief council last week, according to the ministry. Nine Koreans — six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three of Korea South-East Power — went missing Aug. 26 after massive floods and landslides struck Rasuwa District near the Nepal-Tibet border while they were working at a hydropower plant construction site. The government response team, which was dispatched earlier for search-and-rescue operations separately from the KDRT, will remain in Nepal and work closely with Nepalese authorities, while also supporting the families of the missing, the ministry said. The team will consist of eight members — three from the ministry, two from the Nat

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun left for Washington on Thursday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio that are expected to cover a range of pending issues, including bilateral economic and security arrangements, North Korea and the Middle East conflict. Cho will make a three-day visit to Washington through Saturday, with his itinerary including a meeting with Rubio on Friday (U.S. time), according to the ministry. "We will have in-depth discussions on various pending issues between the two nations, as well as consultations on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, regional affairs and the international situation," Cho told reporters before departing from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The meeting comes as Seoul and Washington have a number of outstanding issues on which the two sides have differing positions, including Seoul's role in securing the Strait of Hormuz and its U.S.-bound investment plans. As the Donald Trump administration has pressured South Korea to contribute to efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway, the Seoul governm

JEJU ISLAND — Maritime security experts called for stronger practical cooperation to counter gray zone coercion and prevent maritime tensions from escalating, as they gathered in Jeju last week for the 10th Ieodo International Seminar. The seminar, held from Sept. 10 to 12, brought together specialists from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam to discuss rising maritime security challenges in East Asia, including China’s gray zone activities, maritime disputes, the role of international law and the security of sea lines of communication (SLOC). Co-organized by the Jeju-based think tank Society of Ieodo Research and The Korea Times, the seminar was held under the theme “Maritime Security Cooperation Strategies among East Asian Countries: Responding to Intensifying Maritime Security Threats.” In his opening remarks, Koh Choong-suk, president of the Society of Ieodo Research, said the seminar’s 10th edition reflected the growing international importance of Ieodo — also known as Socotra Rock — and the broader maritime issues surrounding the region. “The discussio

Discussions over Korea's potential role in securing the Strait of Hormuz are focused on safe navigation, energy security and the safety of nationals, rather than its relations with the United States, a senior foreign ministry official said Thursday. The Seoul government has been weighing whether to deploy military assets to the crucial waterway amid pressure from the Donald Trump administration for Seoul to make a contribution. "The government is looking at the issue basically not from the perspective of Korea-U.S. relations, but in terms of ensuring safe navigation, the security of energy supply routes and the safety of our people," First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo told the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee. Addressing the widespread use of the term "deployment" in Korea, Park said the government has been in close talks with the international community on how to make a "contribution" to restoring stability in the region. Media reports have said assets under consideration for possible deployment included maritime patrol aircraft, explosive ordnance di

NAGOYA, Japan — The top Korean sports body said Thursday it has filed an official complaint with the organizing committee of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for highlighting a Japanese warlord that invaded Korea during a recent ceremony. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said it sent the same complaint to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Wednesday, a day after a person dressed as Toyotomi Hideyoshi appeared in the welcome ceremony for the cruise ship Costa Serena, which will serve as a floating hotel for some 4,000 athletes and officials. The ceremony featured Hideyoshi, Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, three warlords born in and around Nagoya. Hideyoshi was the mastermind behind the Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592 to 1598, also known as the Imjin War. While Nagoya leans into the legacy of the three figures to promote its history and culture, the appearance of Hideyoshi drew the ire of the Korean public, especially since the slogan of this year's Asian Games is "Imagine One Asia." The KSOC said its president, Ryu Seung-min, expressed his regret over the incident and d

NAGOYA, Japan — North Korea's sports minister and chef de mission for its delegation at this year's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games arrived in Japan on Thursday, two days ahead of the official opening. Kim Il-guk, who also serves as president of the Olympic Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), left Pyongyang on Tuesday and arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya via China two days later. The DPRK is North Korea's official name. Kim was accompanied by several officials and left the airport without speaking to reporters. Officials from the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, also known as Chongryon, representing pro-North Korea residents in Japan, and other North Korean residents in Japan welcomed Kim's arrival. It is the first time in eight years that a North Korean ministerial-level government official has visited Japan. Kim was the last North Korean minister to visit Japan, traveling to Tokyo in 2018 for a general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). Kim came to Japan as head of the North Korean Olympic com

POHANG — An auxiliary ship belonging to a North Korean merchant vessel sank in international waters between South Korea and Japan on Thursday, leaving one crewman missing while three others were rescued, Seoul authorities said. The South Korean Navy notified the East Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of the sinking at around 10:50 a.m., after the auxiliary craft went down in waters roughly 200 kilometers off the southeastern coastal city of Pohang, Coast Guard officials said. All four crew members aboard the ship had gone missing at first, but three of them were rescued by the Japan Coast Guard, according to South Korean authorities. The Korea Coast Guard has joined search-and-rescue operations to locate the missing crew member, based on international law and humanitarian principles, officials said.

A watchdog has raised concerns after too many primary school children were found to be falling behind in reading, writing and maths.

A proposal to increase waste processing and HGV movements at a major recycling site is among the latest planning applications submitted to a council.

Political analyst Brit Hume on Wednesday evening said rising inflation and higher costs of living are hurting the Trump administration ahead of the midterms, as the Republican Party fights to maintain control in Congress.  “This business with prices is just killing the administration,” Hume said on Fox News's “Special Report with Bret Baier.”  He referenced...

Trivia buffs, test your knowledge with today’s interactive superquiz.

A closed restaurant could become a new nanobrewery, serving beers from locally produced ingredients, after plans were submitted.

A school facing a parent protest has hit back at critics of its new rules, saying “some people struggle with change”.

This month, the president threatened to halt a broad swath of trade if interest rates were not cut, a possibility he resurfaced on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old woman has been charged with concealing her son’s birth by disposing of his body.

The Federal Reserve’s first increase to interest rates since July 2023 comes less than two months before the midterm elections.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) unveiled its long-awaited “innovation exemption” Thursday, a new order aimed at clearing the way for tokenized stock trading in the U.S. The order creates a pair of five-year exemptions. The first exempts platforms that host tokenized stock trading from the commission’s definition of an exchange, while the second exempts...

Many countries blunted the most painful effects of the energy shock from the war in Iran. But prices remain elevated and risks are multiplying.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday welcomed Canada’s invitation to join the European Union as its first associate member. “A Canada-EU alliance would create a beacon for other democracies,” Carney said during his speech before the European Parliament. “An alliance not defined by what we oppose but about what we are for: freedom, solidarity,...

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What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.

Corrie's Tina O'Brien has been seen showing her actress daughter her support as she prepares to launch her next move

A family have been left devastated by the death of a much-loved mum-of-three aged just 30.

A petition has been launched to secure a high-level debate on the fallout from the masked protests which crippled the country’s busiest port.

Noah Woods died after going missing

'It remains true to say that the Army let our daughter down very badly'

An unmarked police car was involved in a collision on the M20 while on it’s way to a fatal crash.

The baby boy's remains were discovered by a builder wrapped in a 1910 newspaper, with an inquest hearing that the cause of death remains a mystery

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week, another sign that layoffs remain rare and most Americans enjoy job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims slid to 196,000, the fewest since mid-July and down from 206,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which...

The messages between the Corrie and Emmerdale stars camefollowing the revelation of a previously unseen scene between the pair

President Trump said Wednesday the European Union inviting Canada to join as an associate member could amount to a “hostile act,” threatening tariffs or a trade embargo against the bloc. “If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe,” Trump...

A construction company working on a new council-built flat development has teamed up with a local charity to help others.

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 16An all-party meeting convened today at the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Parliamentary Party Office in Singha Durbar, led by RSP President Rabi Lamichhane,...

The former bar and music venue lies within the cobbled streets of the town's Nelson Square conservation area

Bolton councillors have been inundated with complaints from residents about failed or delayed pick ups

Jonathan Wilson has been put behind bars after counter-terror police found the items at his Macclesfield house

The Most Rev Sarah Mullally is facing calls to apologise after she presented the prize for 'Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation' to Tahir Ashrafi.

The station in Eastney, Portsmouth, has now not been in active use since September 10, it has emerged. The RNLI said it has taken measures to ensure the safety of the city's waters.