Policy & regulation, Disasters & accidents, Technology · 3 days
334 storiesTrump signs order allowing tax-free red-dyed diesel on highways
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily allowing off-road red-dyed diesel to be used for highway driving and deferring the federal excise tax on that fuel through the end of 2026 without interest or penalties.…
Tropical Storm Isaias forms off Mexico, forecast to hit US Gulf Coast as hurricane
Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday in warm waters off eastern Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and forecasters expect it to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before reaching the U.S. Gulf Coa…
Defense minister: arts, sports military service exemption to be cut and abolished
South Korea's defense minister said on Oct 7 that the goal is to gradually reduce the arts and sports military service exemption and ultimately abolish it, after controversy over remarks by Asian Games football gold medallists about the exe…
Apple and LG Electronics jointly develop smart home devices under LG brand
Apple and LG Electronics are jointly developing smart home devices — a camera-equipped video doorbell, a smart door lock, a security camera and a smart temperature sensor and thermostat — to be sold under the LG brand, according to Bloomber…
South Korea unveils 1,000 trillion won green transition plan to 2035
South Korea announced a “Korean-style Green Transition” (K-GX) strategy on Oct 7, pledging about 1,000 trillion won over ten years to 2035 — 200 trillion won in fiscal support and more than 790 trillion won in climate finance through five p…
Moscow court fines Zoom 65.9 million rubles for repeat violation of Russian law
A Moscow court fined Zoom about 65.9 million rubles (65,936,494 rubles) for a repeat violation of Russian legislation on foreign internet companies, Interfax, Vedomosti and Kommersant reported. The case was heard under part 3 of article 13.…
Russia proposes letting businesses register at an email address
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said a draft law has been prepared that would allow legal entities to register a business using an address in a state email system for official correspondence instead of a physical address. He said th…
South Korea's Lee orders CPTPP talks restarted from the beginning amid farm concerns
President Lee Jae-myung instructed at a cabinet meeting on Oct 6 that the government should not fix a conclusion on joining the CPTPP and should “restart dialogue from the beginning,” saying the pact's strategic value is cited alongside ver…
Russian tourist dies in paragliding accident near Fethiye in southwest Turkey
A Russian tourist died in a paragliding accident near the Turkish resort of Fethiye, Russian outlets reported, citing the Turkish broadcaster CNN Türk. TASS said an investigation has been opened. Vedomosti reported the man was 37 and that t…
Fire at Ustuu-Khuree Buddhist monastery complex in Tuva put out; no injuries
A fire broke out on 7 October at the Ustuu-Khuree Buddhist monastery complex in Tuva, about 5 km from the town of Chadan. Emergency services localized the blaze and later extinguished it; the MChS reported an area of 468 sq m, while earlier…
Thailand flood death toll reaches 60; Bangkok and 27 provinces affected
Thailand's Interior Ministry disaster agency said on Oct 7 that flooding has killed 60 people and affected more than 1.48 million households, or 4.19 million people. The country has seen repeated heavy rain and widespread flooding since Sep…
Turkey's Aselsan announces Astralink network of 198 low-orbit satellites
Aselsan CEO Ahmet Akyol said at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya that Turkey is building Astralink, a low-orbit satellite constellation of 198 spacecraft, with the first launch planned within two years. Akyol said work be…
FT: EU weighs broad corporate levy to raise taxes on US tech groups
The European Commission is considering a new mechanism to raise more tax revenue from large US technology companies without singling them out as a separate category, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources. Under discussion is …
DHS proposes $70,000 fee for international students' work program
The Department of Homeland Security proposed on Wednesday a rule requiring schools to pay $70,000 for each international student's initial Optional Practical Training work authorization, plus $30,000 for each renewal. DHS says the fee targe…
Finland's finance ministry proposes raising retirement age to 70
Finland's Ministry of Finance has proposed raising the minimum retirement age to 70, according to a report titled “Trust in the Future”. The plan would increase the threshold by six months for each successive age group and forms part of a b…
Hoban Construction develops AI design tech to auto-apply per-unit buyer options
Hoban Construction said it developed AI-based design technology that automatically reflects apartment buyers’ option contract choices in each unit’s building information model (BIM). The technology was developed jointly with building and in…
S. Korea farm minister apologises over farmland survey preparation, disputes drone use
Agriculture minister Song Mi-ryung told a parliamentary audit on Oct 7 that the government's full farmland survey does not infringe farmers' private property and that most ordinary, customary violations would not be punished, while saying “…
Kazakhstan considers blocking social media accounts of children under 16
Kazakhstan's government has prepared amendments restricting online platforms for users under 16, and Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said in a reply to a parliamentary inquiry that temporarily blocking social media accounts of children under…
Three typhoons active near Japan as Typhoon 27 moves north, JMA says
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on Oct. 5 that Typhoon 28 (Nolo) and Typhoon 29 (Koguma) had formed, making three active typhoons near Japan with Typhoon 27 (Choi-wan). Typhoon 27 was large and very strong, moving north-northwest …
Korea FTC moves to sanction SK Energy, Hyundai Oilbank over fuel price-fixing
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said on October 7 that it sent an examiner's report to SK Energy and Hyundai Oilbank, opening a deliberation over suspected collusion on gasoline, diesel and kerosene prices from February 2022 to March 20…