US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back planned joint military exercises with South Korea, saying it declined to help denuclearise Iran and citing his good relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

The 11-day exercises, involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers, were designed to boost readiness against North Korean threats.

Trump said on social media during Sunday, local time, that the exercises slated to begin this week were costly and “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful”. The president added that he recently asked South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung to join the US in its efforts to denuclearise Iran, to which Lee declined.

The joint training comes days after North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing activities that the United Nations bans. Experts say Kim likely believes a bigger weapons arsenal would increase his chances of wresting more concessions from the US in future negotiations.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to end the exercises. During his first term, he also made a surprise announcement calling the war games “provocative.”

Japan’s defence minister will visit Canberra this week, which is the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Prime Minister Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi.

The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia’s acquisition of Japan’s Mogami-class frigates and enhanced security cooperation.

Koizumi’s visit comes after a week in which Albanese defended himself over comments made on the Bush Deep podcast, released last month. He was discussing a pair of Japanese melons presented by Takaichi during a visit to Canberra earlier this year, and, while appearing to make hand gestures in front of his chest, said “she brought two, as you do”.

Facing days of criticism from the opposition and in the media, Albanese has insisted his hand gestures and a comment about melons were misinterpreted and were not innuendo about breasts. The opposition criticised Albanese for putting at risk close relations with one of Australia’s most important partners in Asia.

Public comments from Japan’s ambassador to Australia on Wednesday suggested Takaichi’s government wanted to avoid a diplomatic incident over the comments, which were initially not controversial but soon sparked strong criticism, including by a former envoy to Australia.

Japan’s government refrained from public comments on the issue until Wednesday, when its current ambassador to Australia Kazuhiro Suzuki released a statement not raising any further issue with Albanese’s conduct.

A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in last year December’s killings of his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, and added the allegation that he was lying in wait before attacking them.

The grand jury, which had been meeting in secret, returned the indictment on July 20. It was unsealed on August 12 when Nick Reiner entered a not guilty plea, revealing a few new details in a case that has been shrouded in secrecy. But a ‘lying in wait’ allegation along with other circumstances means Nick Reiner is eligible for the death penalty.

The grand jury indictment is a major step toward trial and allows prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence is publicly aired.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement that he hopes having a grand jury return an indictment will bring everyone one step closer to a trial and achieve justice for Reiner’s deceased parents.