Climate & environment, Policy & regulation
206 storiesSouth Korea forecasts a cold, windy Oct. 6 with a 15C day-night temperature gap
South Korea's weather agency forecast a chilly, clear Oct. 6 with morning lows of about 3-14°C and a day-night temperature gap of roughly 15°C in most regions. Gangwon's inland and mountain areas were expected near or below 5°C, with winds …
Seoul revamps 'Future Seoul Morning Lecture' with in-house officials
Seoul city has overhauled its “미래서울 아침특강” (Future Seoul Morning Lecture) series so that its own director-general-level officials, rather than outside experts, give the lectures. The first lecture under the new format was held on the morning…
Korea forecasts clear, chilly weather with 15-degree day-night temperature swing
South Korea's official forecast and local outlets predicted mostly clear skies for Tuesday, Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 7, with cold mornings and a day-night temperature difference of about 15 degrees Celsius. Tuesday's forecast included mor…
South Korea weighs ending military service exemptions for athletes and artists
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on October 6 that it is considering tightening or abolishing the military service exemption granted to athletes and artists, after some Asian Games gold medalists said exemption mattered more to them than…
Trump 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.…
Supreme Court hears Boulder climate suit as justices question both sides
The Supreme Court heard nearly two hours of arguments Monday on whether the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, can sue Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy in state court to recover costs tied to climate change. Conservative justices questioned…
Earliest cold wave advisory issued for Gangwon's Taebaek, Pyeongchang mountains
South Korea's Korea Meteorological Administration issued a cold wave advisory for the mountain areas of Taebaek and Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province, effective at 9 p.m. on Oct. 5. Yonhap and the Dong-A Ilbo described it as the earliest cold…
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia back in court as US seeks deportation to Liberia
Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025, was due back in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Tuesday in his fight against deportation to Liberia. The government is asking U.S…
South Korea culture ministry issues director-level personnel notice
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released a personnel appointment notice on 5 October 2026, carried by Newsis, Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo. Yonhap's summary described …
ABC asks federal judge to block FCC early review of its broadcast licenses
ABC asked a federal judge in Washington on Tuesday to block the FCC from conducting an early review of its broadcast licenses, calling it retaliation for content President Trump dislikes. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan did not rule immed…
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…
Japan transport ministry sets four-level flood risk plan for underpasses
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism published guidelines on October 6 classifying underpasses nationwide into four flood-risk levels and calling for remotely operated or automatic barriers at the most dangerous s…
Russian government approves bioeconomy development strategy to 2036
Russia's government approved a bioeconomy development strategy running to 2036, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting with deputy premiers, according to official and business outlets. The strategy defines priority areas for bio…
South Korea to guarantee one-third of jeonse deposits for fraud victims from Nov. 13
South Korea's cabinet approved an enforcement decree amendment to the special act on jeonse fraud victims on Oct. 6, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, with the measure taking effect on Nov. 13. Victims whose total rec…
Chungnam and Korea Forest Service sign pine wilt control MOU, plan nationwide expansion
Chungcheongnam-do Province and the Korea Forest Service signed an MOU in Taean County on Oct. 5 on “industrialized pest control” for pine wilt disease, under which damaged trees are removed using private logging capacity and usable trees go…
Trump says he is considering suspending federal gas tax ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump said Tuesday his administration is considering suspending the federal gas tax, as pump prices remain far above last year's levels a month before the midterm elections. Any suspension would require Congress, which is n…
South Korea’s health insurance service to pay unclaimed premium refunds through November
South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service said it will run an intensive two-month period through Nov. 30 to pay out unclaimed health insurance premium refunds. Refunds arise from double or erroneous payments or from recalculations aft…
ABC asks federal judge to block FCC's early review of its broadcast licenses
Disney's ABC asked a federal judge in Washington, D.C. to block the FCC from conducting an early review of its broadcast licenses, arguing the proceeding was launched to retaliate over content that offended the Trump administration. The FCC…
Netherlands proposes civilian reserve of 150,000 for emergencies
The Netherlands has proposed creating a civilian reserve for crises, with RTL reporting a target of 150,000 reservists for emergency situations, according to TASS. The reported roles include drivers, security guards and mechanics. RBC repor…
Army study found ICE shock gloves cause pain, compliance and fear, AP reports
A previously unreleased Army study found that shock gloves now purchased by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement caused intense pain, immediate compliance and fear of further shocks during a 2024 military exercise. Records obtained by t…