Briefly

KOREAN PENINSULA

Allies fly 20 fighter jets amid tensions

The Republic of Korea and the United States flew fighter jets in formation over the ROK's western sea on Tuesday in a show of force amid alleged signs that a nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea could be imminent. The ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday's air demonstration involved 16 ROK planes－including F-35A stealth fighters－and four US F-16 fighter jets and was aimed at demonstrating their ability to swiftly respond to "provocations". The flight came as US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman traveled to Seoul for discussions with officials from the ROK and Japan. Sherman warned of a "swift and forceful" response if Pyongyang proceeds with a nuclear test, which would be its first in nearly five years.

SRI LANKA

Govt urgently seeks $6b to keep economy afloat

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka on Tuesday asked the International Monetary Fund to arrange a creditor meeting for $6 billion in loans to help keep the country afloat during its unprecedented economic crisis. Months of daily blackouts, long queues for petrol and record inflation have made daily life a misery in the South Asian island nation of 22 million people. The government has already defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt, and a critical shortage of foreign currency has left traders unable to import adequate supplies of food, fuel and other essential goods. In his speech to Parliament, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the country needed $5 billion for its daily needs in the next six months, along with another billion to stabilize Sri Lanka's rapidly depreciating rupee.

AUSTRALIA

Patrons clucking mad over lettuce switch

Fried chicken chain KFC said on Tuesday that high lettuce prices in Australia have forced it to switch to a cabbage mix in burgers and other products, prompting customers to complain the result is less than "finger lickin' good". The local price of the verdant leaf has soared by as much as 300 percent in recent months, forcing the fast-food chain to tweak the Colonel's recipe in some stores. "We're currently experiencing a lettuce shortage. So, we're using a lettuce and cabbage blend on all products containing lettuce until further notice," the company told customers. The company blamed widespread flooding in the country's east for the problem. A single head of iceberg lettuce in Sydney or Melbourne that once sold for about $2 now goes for close to $8.

Agencies via Xinhua