Science, Society, Health, Finance & markets
464 storiesRussian woman at plague research institute dies; cause disputed
A woman in her 20s who worked at a plague control research institute in Russia's Irkutsk region died on October 2. Russian health authorities said on October 4 the cause was “pneumonia of unknown origin,” while speculation of plague infecti…
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…
KCTU vote on rejoining Korea's social dialogue council collapses
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) failed to hold a vote on returning to the Economic, Social and Labor Council at an extraordinary delegate meeting in Goyang on October 7, after opposing delegates walked out and quorum was los…
Pennsylvania measles cases pass 1,000, largest state outbreak in decades
Pennsylvania has reported 1,004 measles cases in 2026, the state Department of Health said Monday, including at least 198 hospitalizations and five deaths. State health officials say it is the largest outbreak in any U.S. state in more than…
Korean court suspends market-cap delisting decisions; exchange halts two more exits
Seoul Southern District Court Civil Division 51 granted injunctions on Oct 2 suspending the Korea Exchange's delisting decisions against KOSPI-listed Joo Yeon Tech and KOSDAQ-listed KM Pharma until a main ruling. The court questioned the 45…
India's central bank raises key rate to 5.5%, first hike in 3 years 8 months
The Reserve Bank of India decided on 7 October to raise its main policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5.5%, the first increase in three years and eight months. Governor Sanjay Malhotra cited a worsening Middle East situation, sharp swin…
Bank of Russia raises official dollar rate to 84.93 rubles for October 6
The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate for October 6 at 84.93 rubles, up 1.45 rubles from 83.48 rubles on October 3, with the euro rising 1.01 rubles to 95.33 rubles and the yuan up 0.22 rubles to 12.65 rubles. RBC reported the rub…
New York stocks open mixed as 10-year Treasury yield holds near 5.3%
New York's main stock indices opened mixed on October 5, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down about 0.27% as the 10-year US Treasury yield held around 5.3%, a level Asia Economy described as the highest in several years. The S&P 500 a…
Three Korean business dailies publish daily fortune columns dated Oct 5
Maeil Business, Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Daily each published a daily fortune column dated October 5, 2026, the 25th day of the eighth lunar month. Chosun Ilbo's feature, carried since 2017 and written by Han So-pyeong of Geumo Sanban…
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…
European stock indices close higher on Oct 6 after mixed Oct 5 session
On Oct 6, 2026, major European stock indices all closed higher: the UK FTSE 100 rose 0.42%, France’s CAC 40 0.47%, Germany’s DAX 0.82% and Italy’s FTSE MIB 0.87%, according to CLS. The previous day, most indices rose but France’s CAC 40 fel…
Nuri rocket completes fifth launch, placing satellites in orbit
South Korea’s Nuri rocket lifted off at 12:25 p.m. local time on Oct 7 from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, carrying 15 satellites, the most in its history, and placed the five main ultra-small cluster satellites in their target orbit. Ne…
Kenya confirms first Ebola death after patient arrives from Congo via Uganda
Kenya’s Health Ministry confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case on Tuesday, after a Kenyan man who arrived from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda was treated at Nairobi Hospital and died late Monday. Authorities placed K…
WHO says risk low as US presses Russia for transparency on plague lab death
The U.S. State Department is monitoring reports of a fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly called on Moscow to be more transparent about the death of a 28-year-ol…
JPX to cut TOPIX constituents from about 1,600 to 986 under new selection rules
Japan Exchange Group announced on Oct 7 that it will sharply reduce the number of companies in the TOPIX stock index, to 986 from 1,634, in a phased change running from late October to July 2028. A reassessment in October 2027 will decide w…
Nuri declared a success on fifth flight; five cluster satellites make contact
South Korea's Nuri rocket lifted off at 12:25 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung and the Korea Aerospace Administration declared the fifth flight a success, saying all 15 satellites were placed in orbit. Officials said 14 of the 15 …
MFDS approves Hanmi's EPPE, Korea's first homegrown GLP-1 obesity drug
Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Hanmi Pharmaceutical's EPPE auto-injector (efpeglenatide) on Oct 7, the first domestically developed GLP-1 obesity drug and the country's 45th homegrown new drug. The injectable is indicated…
KCTU to vote Oct 7 on return to social dialogue; council ready to talk
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (민주노총) will hold its 85th temporary delegate conference at 1 p.m. on Oct 7 at KINTEX in Goyang to vote on joining the Economic, Social and Labor Council (경사노위), which would end a 27-year absence from…
Busan shark Bukkangi crosses net, returns to waterway; rescue paused
The shark nicknamed Bukkangi, believed to be a dusky shark about 3 m long, crossed a large net and returned to the artificial waterway at Busan's Bukhang Chinsu Park around noon on Oct 3, a day after a second attempt to guide it to open sea…
US 10-year Treasury yield hits highest since 2002 as long-dated selloff extends
US long-dated Treasury yields climbed to their highest levels since 2002 on Oct 5, with the 10-year reaching about 5.35% and the 30-year above 5.70%. Chosun Ilbo reported the 10-year closed the third quarter at 5.29%, the biggest quarterly …