SEOUL -- South Korea's special counsel on Tuesday sought a four-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
The team of Min Joong-ki, an independent counsel who led an investigation into corruption allegations involving Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee, demanded the four-year jail term on charges of receiving free opinion polls from self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun. (S. Korea-Former President)
- - - -
TOKYO -- Sightings of Asian black bears across Japan totaled 50,776 in fiscal 2025, the highest level since comparable data became available in fiscal 2009, government data showed Monday.
The figure for the year from April 2025 to March 2026 represented a 2.5-fold jump from the 20,513 sightings in the previous fiscal year, according to Japan's Ministry of the Environment. (Japan-Black Bear Sightings)
- - - -
SUVA -- According to the World Bank Group's latest Pacific Economic Update, regional economic growth is projected to slow to 2.8 percent in 2026.
Rising fuel and shipping costs, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and renewed global uncertainty continue to weigh on Pacific economies. (Fiji-World Bank-Pacific Growth)
- - - -
CANBERRA -- The Australian government on Tuesday unveiled its federal budget for 2026-27, projecting a deficit of 31.5 billion Australian dollars (about 22.76 billion U.S. dollars) as it seeks to strengthen the economy amid global uncertainty.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, delivering the budget to parliament, described it as "the most important and ambitious budget in decades," citing rising global pressures. (Australia-Federal Budget) ■
