Tourist is hit with 7 euro surcharge for background music at café in Venice's St Mark's Square

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

The 24-year-old was arrested after an exhaustive review of CCTV footage. Charges are expected to follow.

The tributes were placed next to the wooden fence of the play area after police announced they had found the body of a child in a nearby pond in Brantham, Suffolk.

Progress towards reunifying with Taiwan hinges on factors like the island’s level of provocation, retired PLA major general Luo Yan told the South China Morning Post, warning that Taiwan’s leader had challenged Beijing’s red lines. Speaking on the sidelines of the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Luo said the timeline for reunification with mainland China was shaped by “the development of our national strength, our defence needs, the global security environment, as well as the degree of...

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call for an antitrust waiver for AI firms to work together on a safety standard is being met with skepticism in Washington, where policymakers are questioning tech leaders' intentions. Congress has failed repeatedly to pass AI regulations for years, but some lawmakers are balking at the idea of technology companies taking...

Jordan Herrera-Hu was waiting at a bus stop in Hunters Hill on a Sunday when he was punched by an unknown man.

The Bank of England will announced its latest decision at noon, with most analysts betting the base rate will be kept on hold at 3.75 per cent.

Are you across the week’s current affairs? Find out with this multiple-choice challenge.

Macklemore, aka Benjamin Haggerty, was dropped from Sheeran's tour after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestinians.

“It’s laughable. I think we’re all growing weary of the whole debate,” one councillor said.

Unfortunate that PM plays the blame game when problems arise, Fadhli says.

Napoli on the Road, which has restaurants in Chiswick, Richmond and Soho, became the first British entrant to take the top spot at the prestigious 50 Top Pizza awards.

Buckingham Palace issued an extraordinary statement in response to the explosive new book by Earl Spencer about a devastating row he had with then Prince Charles in the days after Diana died.

Find out why a cancelled women's-only swimming session at a public pool in Melbourne has became the subject of a global social media obsession.

Jonathan Powell is said to have warned action over the occupation of Palestinian land should be held back until after elections in Israel.

Catherine Hitchcock, 49, headmistress of Donhead Preparatory School, which costs £20,000-a-year, caused cyclist Robert Atkinson to fracture his wrists when she pulled into his path.

Jackie O's manager Gemma O'Neill gave an unusual response when we asked her to address rumours Jackie is drinking again. Plus, we reveal insider details about the Karl and Keshnee drama.

Paul Squire, 50, from Askern, Doncaster, was arrested in June at Hong Kong International Airport alongside a Japanese man after they tried to sneak 42kg of the drug into the region.

The shock jock named Australia's largest pharmacy retailer while calling for cocaine to be legalised and supplied through regulated outlets on his new Kyle Sandilands Live show.

Redevelopment plans for one of Melbourne’s biggest public housing towers envision 800 new flats, but it is unclear if any will be public.

Sharangan Maheswaran is a key link to many troubled folk facing this Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.

Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith called for a moratorium on further tax rises, warning they are 'crushing' the economy.

The inquiry was commissioned to investigate alleged war crimes committed by soldiers serving with the SAS in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.

Analysis of thousands of forecourt prices found 236 were selling diesel at more than £2 a litre, with a further 633 pricing it at 199.9p.

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 17The Government of Nepal, UNESCO, Lumbini Development Trust, Lumbini Buddhist University and the World Bank are set to bring together more than 150 national a...

A couple was flogged 100 times each for adultery under an Indonesian province's strict Sharia laws.

Andy Burnham could slash a further £2.2billion from Britain's bloated benefits bill by limiting disability benefit claims in under-30s to those with the most severe conditions, a report found.

The backdown follows weeks of criticism from veterans, politicians and advocates.

The small single-engine aeroplane crashed high in the mountains near the town of Leukerbad in the southern canton of Valais, Switzerland on Tuesday.

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 17Chief of the Nepali Army General Ashok Raj Sigdel held a courtesy meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun in Beijing on Wednesday during his f...

Kevin M. Warsh, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, on Wednesday left open-ended how much more interest rates may have to rise to tame inflation.

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

The supermarket giant started charging customers more when war broke out in the Middle East to support farmers. Now it and a Woolworths supplier have ended subsidies.

Taiwan has quietly acknowledged donating a coastguard vessel to the Philippines, potentially adding to Manila’s maritime patrol capacity amid its long-running stand-off with Beijing in the South China Sea. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said on Wednesday that “this case” was being handled in line with previous transfers of vessels to the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu. Unlike those three Pacific states, which all maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, the Philippines recognises...

His alcoholism meant people kept him at arm’s length in life, but memories of his charisma still hover.

The announcement left many students on campuses concerned that their plans will be upended.