Asian Insider Oct 2: North Korea fires sub-based missile

Hi,

In today's bulletin: North Korea fires a submarine-based missile hours after saying it would resume stalled nuclear talks with the US, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi declares his country "open-defecation free" and Hong Kong workers and students protest against the shooting of a teenaged protester by police.

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North Korea on Wednesday fired what appeared to be a submarine-based ballistic missile off its east coast just hours after it said it would resume stalled nuclear talks with the United States.

This represents an escalation from a series of short-range missile launches that it has started since May and is the first time that it has fired a submarine-based missile since 2016.

North Korea has done this before, raising the stakes in its dealings with the US through military provocations.

More stories: Unleashed from Trump, Bolton says North Korea still wants nukes

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to declare India "open-defecation free" on Wednesday evening five years after he made the pledge to build "latrines for all" after he first took office.

He is hailing the project a success as India celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, who was a sanitation champion.

However, experts have questioned his claims saying many toilets were constructed without water connection and even if they are connected, cultural barriers stop many Indians from using them.

More stories: Toilet controversy: India's Modi ignores protests to collect Gates award

Hong Kong office workers and high school students on Wednesday turned out in the hundreds in the Central Business District and the school of a teenager respectively to denounce the police shooting of the young protester during violent clashes on Tuesday.

This is the first time that a demonstrator has been struck by a live round in nearly four months of protests that have become increasingly violent.

The 18-year-old is said to be in stable condition after being shot at close range in the shoulder by a police officer as his unit was attacked by protesters with poles and umbrellas.

Several protests in the city on Tuesday descended into violence as China celebrated 70 years of Chinese Communist Party rule.

More stories: China's 70th National Day: No force can stop country's progress, says Xi Jinping

Cyber attackers spent months targeting personal information of students and employees of one of Australia's most prestigious universities, a report into a 2018 breach released on Wednesday has said.

The Australian National University said in June that attackers had breached its cyber defences in late 2018.

The university is one of Australia's highest ranked university with alumni including former and current members of government stoking fears that the attackers had been looking for potential leverage against high-ranking individuals.

More stories: Australia says 'sophisticated state actor' hacked parties, Parliament

Thousands of workers were set to carry out protests on Wednesday against Indonesia's labour, wage and health insurance regulations that they say are discriminatory.

This follows earlier protests by students that at times had turned violent and raises fresh risks for the stability of South-east Asia's largest economy.

Some 50,000 workers are to protest in front of Parliament building in Jakarta while others will do so in nine other cities and town, bringing the total to 150,000.

More stories: Indonesia protests enter second week as vote on sex-ban Bill delayed

Serial killer: A 56-year-old suspect has admitted to a series of rape-murders from over 30 years ago and other unsolved crimes from around the same time. Lee Chun-jae confessed to the nine rape-murders that took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province, as well as five additional murders and about 30 rapes and attempted rapes, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Illegal granite mining and pollution: A quarry illegally mining tens of thousands of tonnes of granite in Penang without approval is under suspicion of causing a spike in heavy metals at a nearby river. Penang state environment committee chairman Phee Boon Poh revealed that officials found heavy metals at a nearby river that is only about 2km from the sea.

Taleban co-founder due in Pakistan: Taleban co-founder Mullah Baradar was due in Pakistan on Wednesday to hold talks with officials, the militant group's spokesman said, as unconfirmed reports suggested US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was already in Islamabad. If so, it could provide the first known opportunity for the two to meet since US President Donald Trump last month abruptly scuttled talks with the Taleban that were seeking a way for Washington to exit its longest war.

Teen kills kangaroos: An Australian teenager has been charged over the deaths of 20 kangaroos which he allegedly mowed down in a killing spree that lasted an hour in Tura Beach 450km south of Sydney on Saturday night. Police said on Wednesday the 19-year-old has been charged on Tuesday with animal cruelty offences.

That's it for today, thanks for reading.

Sui Noi