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776 storiesWHO 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…
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…
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…
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…
WHO says Russia reported no plague case in Irkutsk as US tracks lab worker's death
The World Health Organization said Russian authorities reported no plague case had been recorded in the Irkutsk region, while the cause of a 28-year-old anti-plague laboratory worker's death remained unconfirmed. The US State Department sai…
Zheng Qinwen beats Bouzkova in three sets to reach China Open last 16
Zheng Qinwen defeated Czech 18th seed Bouzkova 2-1 at the Diamond Court on October 5 to reach the round of 16 at the 2026 China Open in Beijing. It was the first meeting between the two players; Zheng took the first set in a tiebreak, lost …
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…
Hwang In-beom denies retirement talk as South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0
Hwang In-beom denied reports that he, Kim Min-jae and Hwang Hee-chan were considering retiring from the national team, after South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in Yongin on 6 October. The Korea Football Association also called the retirement t…
All-Star pitcher Sam McDowell, “Sudden Sam,” dies at 84
Sam McDowell, a six-time All-Star pitcher who spent 11 of his 15 major-league seasons with the then-Cleveland Indians, died Monday at 84, according to Fox News, which said KDKA first reported the death. The cause of death is unknown. McDowe…
South Korea beats Japan 1-0 for fourth straight Asian Games football gold
South Korea's under-23 team beat Japan 1-0 in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's football final at Toyota Stadium on 3 October, with Um Ji-sung scoring in the second half. It is South Korea's fourth consecutive title in the event, whic…
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…
Apple and LG co-develop smart home devices including doorbell, lock and thermostat
Bloomberg reports that Apple and LG have co-developed a line of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, indoor and outdoor security cameras and a floodlight camera. The products are expected to carry…
S. Korea farm minister says minor farmland survey violations won't be punished
Agriculture minister Song Mi-ryung told a parliamentary audit on Oct 7 that most ordinary, customary violations found in the government's full farmland survey would not be punished, and that the government has no plan or reason to confiscat…
Gauff says racist abuse followed disputed point at China Open
Coco Gauff said she received an “insane” amount of racist comments and direct messages after a disputed point in her China Open third-round win over Sun Xinran in Beijing. Gauff stopped a rally when electronic advertising boards flickered; …
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…
Kremlin: Russia informed WHO of Irkutsk region situation after worker death
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia has informed the World Health Organization about the situation in the Irkutsk region, following the death of an employee of the Irkutsk anti-plague institute. Peskov also said he had no informatio…
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 …
KT Wiz clinch 2026 KBO regular-season title with 9-0 win over Lotte
KT Wiz clinched the 2026 KBO regular-season title on Oct. 5, beating the Lotte Giants 9-0 at Suwon KT Wiz Park behind Logan Allen's eight scoreless innings and two home runs by Jang Jun-won. At 86-49-5 (.637), KT leads second-place Samsung …
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…
Ovechkin says current NHL season will be his last
Alexander Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals captain and the NHL's all-time regular-season goals leader, said the current season will be his last in the league. He told his teammates before a training session and said he took the decision in…