Policy & regulation, Consumer, Games, War & conflict
652 storiesJapan regulator investigates Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory over beer price cartel
Japan's Fair Trade Commission carried out a mandatory investigation on 7 October into four major brewers — Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory — over suspected prior coordination of beer price increases, which would breach Japan's Antimonopol…
Russia strikes Dnieper bridge in Zaporizhzhia, five reported injured
Russian forces struck one of the bridges over the Dnieper in Zaporizhzhia overnight into 6 October, according to the head of the region's military administration, and traffic on the damaged crossing was closed. Meduza reported that five peo…
UAE sets phased caps on salt, sugar and fat in packaged foods, fines up to Dh500,000
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has begun implementing a resolution that caps sodium, sugar and fat in selected packaged foods, with phased limits running until the end of 2030. The rules apply to locally made and imported produ…
One killed, three wounded in Luhansk region attacks, regional head says
One person was killed and three others wounded in the Luhansk People's Republic over the past day, according to the region's head, Leonid Pasechnik. Pasechnik said a drone struck a passenger car on the Antratsyt–Dolzhansky road, killing a 2…
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…
Crew rescued after tanker Aframax Rio attacked in Black Sea, Russia says
Unmanned boats attacked the tanker Aframax Rio, carrying oil under the Liberian flag, in the Black Sea, according to RBC. The vessel caught fire. Russia’s Ministry of Transport said the crew was rescued and brought ashore, TASS reported, ad…
Israel marks three years since Oct. 7 attack with memorials and protests
Israelis gathered on Wednesday to mark three years since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, with ceremonies, memorials and protests at more than 400 locations. A national moment…
Japan air force drone Global Hawk salvage off Tottori to start in earnest Oct 13
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force says full-scale recovery of a Global Hawk reconnaissance drone that crashed off Tottori Prefecture will begin on Oct. 13, when a civilian salvage vessel is due at the site. An object believed to be part of the…
China holiday consumption: long trips boom, trade-in subsidies lift store sales
China's National Day holiday brought a surge in long-distance travel, small-city tourism and immersive cultural experiences, according to Xinhua's market roundup published by China News Service. Trade-in subsidy programmes also boosted stor…
JCS: North Korean mines caused DMZ blast; military clears minefield south of MDL
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said a Sept. 21 explosion in the western-front Demilitarized Zone that seriously injured a soldier was caused by a North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine laid south of the Military Demarcation Line. JCS…
Man seriously injured in Ukrainian drone strike on car in Belgorod region
A man was seriously injured when a Ukrainian FPV drone struck a car near Laptevka in Russia's Belgorod region, the regional operational headquarters said, according to Interfax. He was in serious condition and was being taken by ambulance t…
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…
Miroshnik says Ukrainian attacks affected 470,000 electricity subscribers in a week
Power outages caused by Ukrainian attacks during the week affected 470,000 subscribers, Miroshnik said, according to TASS. Residents of the Kursk region and the DNR were left without electricity, TASS reported. RIA Novosti separately report…
Korea's top individual tax delinquent Kwon Hyuk to pay 393.8 billion won
The National Tax Service said on Oct 7 that Kwon Hyuk, chairman of Sido Group and the country's largest individual tax delinquent, has submitted a plan to pay his personal back taxes of 393.8 billion won in full, 15 years after the tax was …
Turkey, Pakistan to send forces to Saudi Arabia as Houthi strikes widen
Turkey and Pakistan said they will provide agreed military forces and take steps to deploy them rapidly to Saudi Arabia, after an emergency meeting in Riyadh on Oct. 5, in the first activation of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed on …
Land minister says Gangnam, Yongsan home prices have turned negative
Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Hong Ji-seon told a National Assembly audit on Oct 7 that home prices in Seoul's Gangnam three districts and Yongsan have turned negative, and said price growth should ease with the market stabili…
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launch offensive to retake Bab al-Mandeb from Houthis
Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a military operation to retake Houthi-held territory, with the stated aim of controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea coast. A Yemeni military spoke…
Girl, 11, killed and four wounded in rocket attack on Belgorod region village, officials say
An 11-year-old girl was killed and four civilians, including another child, were wounded in a rocket attack on the village of Printsevka in the Valuysky district of Russia's Belgorod region, the regional operational headquarters said. Two p…
Russia says it struck port point of Vylkove in Ukraine's Odesa region
Russia's defence ministry said its forces struck the port point of Vylkove in Ukraine's Odesa region, according to state outlets TASS and RIA Novosti and the business outlet RBC. RIA Novosti said the site was used to move cargo for Ukrainia…
Asian Games exemption row widens: Ahn seeks abolition, ruling party open to overhaul
People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo said on 7 October that the military service exemption for Asian Games gold medalists should be abolished starting with this tournament, arguing it is set by presidential decree and President Lee Jae…