Consumer, Business, Policy & regulation, Health
586 storiesSouth 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…
Nvidia CEO's son-in-law Nico Caprez rises to vice president, reports say
Nico Caprez (35), the son-in-law of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, has become vice president for global AI infrastructure growth, according to a report by The Information on Oct. 5 that Yonhap and the Kyunghyang Shinmun relayed. He was promoted i…
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…
WHO and Russia say no further plague infections after Siberian lab worker's death
A female worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week from pneumonia of undetermined origin, according to Russian authorities and the WHO. Russia's Rospotrebnadzor said 60% of the identified contact…
Paramount closes Warner Bros. Discovery takeover, creating Skydance
Paramount Skydance closed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, creating a company named Skydance led by CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. The merged company brings CNN, CBS News, HBO Max and Paramount+ under one roof…
Defense ministry to pursue cut, abolition of alternative service for arts, sports
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Oct 6 that it plans to ultimately pursue a reduction and abolition of supplementary military service, including arts and sports personnel, and to reflect it in the defense reform basic plan. Spokespers…
Asian Games gold row widens as parties in South Korea seek exemption review
South Korea beat Japan 1-0 on October 3 to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games men's football gold, a result that exempts most of the squad from military service. A locker-room photo of Park Seung-su in a discharge hat, captain Lee Ki-hyuk…
Paramount Skydance completes $110bn Warner Bros. Discovery takeover
Paramount Skydance said on October 6 that it has completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valued at about $110 billion (roughly ¥17 trillion). The combined company will be named Skydance and will hold two Hollywood film…
Korean doctors and parties seek rules after police search of pediatric ER
Police searched the pediatric emergency medical center at Ajou University Hospital on September 30 as part of an investigation into the July death of a five-month-old infant. The National Council of Medical School Professors and other medic…
Trump touts Anduril shipyard investment; Maryland governor blocked from speaking
President Donald Trump on Tuesday promoted a $3.7 billion Anduril investment to build components for nuclear submarines at a shipyard near Baltimore, where the site of a former Bethlehem Steel mill closed in 2012. Democratic Gov. Wes Moore,…
Apple reported to develop smart doorbell, lock and thermostat with LG
Apple is reported to be developing a set of smart home accessories with LG Electronics, including a video doorbell, a smart lock and a thermostat, with the finished products to carry the LG brand. Apple plans to launch the new devices on Oc…
Single Seoul apartment unit draws 68,663 applicants on near-1-billion-won gap
One 84㎡ unit at the 강변역 센트럴 아이파크 complex in Guui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul drew 68,663 applications when it was offered on Oct 6, Newsis and Seoul Economic Daily reported, both citing the Korea Real Estate Board's Cheongyak Home portal. The …
Russian anti-plague lab researcher dies; US and EU say they are monitoring
A 28-year-old female researcher at the Irkutsk anti-plague research institute in Shelekhov, Russia, died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown cause, the state agency Rospotrebnadzor said. About 200 people who may have had contact…
National university hospital bed occupancy stuck at 56.4%, surgeries still below 2023
Average bed occupancy at South Korea's nine national university hospitals was 56.4% in both 2024 and last year, down from 73.6% in 2023, according to data Rep. Seo Mi-hwa obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Surgeries at ten na…
Russia quarantines hospital as lab worker’s death puts nearly 200 under observation
A female employee of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East died last week of pneumonia of unknown cause, Russian authorities said, and a hospital in the town of Shelekhov was placed under quarantine. Officia…
Ulsan Ulju Hospital warns of rise in autumn centipede bites
Ulsan Ulju Hospital said on Oct 6 that it has been seeing a series of patients bitten by centipedes as autumn sets in, and urged the public to take precautions. The hospital described recent cases, including a person in their 50s bitten on …
Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin over suspected plague death in Siberia
President Trump said Tuesday he has a call scheduled with Vladimir Putin about the suspected pneumonic plague case in Siberia, after saying Monday the US was willing to help Russia. The case follows the death of Darya Shipilova, 28, a worke…
China Railway warns travellers over third-party ticket-grabbing platforms
China Railway issued a reminder that 12306 is its only official online ticket sales channel and said it has never cooperated with any third-party platform, according to IT Home and China News Service. The railway described bloggers in railw…
China health experts urge problem-driven push to turn disease research into treatments
Experts at a 2026 conference on disease prevention research and translation in China called for problem-driven collaboration between hospitals, universities and industry, with AI among the topics discussed. The director of a national key la…
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.…