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753 storiesSouth Korea re-designates 92 population decline regions, adding Busan Geumjeong, Dongducheon and Tongyeong
South Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety re-designated 92 cities, counties and districts as population decline regions on Oct. 7, up from 89 in the first designation five years ago. Busan's Geumjeong-gu, Gyeonggi's Dongducheon and …
Tanker catches fire in Black Sea near Sochi; Sirius beaches closed
A tanker caught fire in the Black Sea near Sochi, according to Russian state and business outlets. The head of the Sirius federal territory administration, Dmitry Plishkin, said its beaches would be temporarily closed and that water and air…
SME Minister Lee So-young unveils startup venture regulatory innovation committee at audit
South Korea's SMEs and startups minister, Lee So-young, said on October 7 that her ministry will create a "Startup Venture Regulatory Innovation Committee" to find regulatory improvements, and set out plans to expand the small-business soci…
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…
Korea's FSS tells 21 securities firms to shift to preventive internal audits
The Financial Supervisory Service met auditors from 21 securities firms in Seoul on Oct 7 and told them to move from audits that catch problems after the fact to preventive checks that protect investors first. The regulator cited repeated v…
Russia says its forces advance in northern and central Dobropolye
Russia's Defence Ministry said its assault groups advanced in the northern and central parts of Dobropolye, in the Donetsk People's Republic, and that marine infantry units finished clearing residential buildings in the city's eastern distr…
Russia's Defence Ministry says forces tighten encirclement in northeast Kharkiv region
Russia's Defence Ministry said units of its “North” grouping are tightening an encirclement of Ukrainian formations in northeastern Kharkiv region and expanding an outer zone of control, with fighting for several villages. The ministry said…
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…
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…
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 …
Russia’s Defence Ministry says troops advanced on several front-line sectors
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its grouping troops in the zone of the “special military operation” advanced and improved their positions over a 24-hour period, with the East grouping pushing deeper into Ukrainian defences. The ministry repo…
Typhoon No. 27 moves north near Ogasawara as typhoons 28 and 29 form
Typhoon No. 27, described by the Japan Meteorological Agency as large and very strong, moved north over waters near the Ogasawara Islands and was forecast to approach the islands at very strong intensity from the evening of Oct. 5 to early …
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 393.8 billion won in back taxes in full, 15 years after the tax was assessed. He …
Asian Games exemption row: Ahn Cheol-soo urges review, defense ministry regrets remarks
People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo said on 7 October that the military service exemption for Asian Games gold medalists should be reviewed for abolition starting with this tournament, noting the rule is a presidential decree that Pre…
Latvia says armed masked men from Belarus threatened its troops at border
Latvia's interior minister, Jānis Dombrava, said a group of masked people illegally crossed into Latvia from Belarus after the military stopped about 20 migrants from entering. Latvia's National Armed Forces said the migrants were accompani…
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…
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…
Russia reports 861 drones downed in a day, 868 overnight
Russia's defense ministry reported downing 646 Ukrainian drones on the night of 1–2 October and 559 on the night of 3–4 October, then said on 5 October that 861 drones had been destroyed in 24 hours and 868 overnight into 6 October. Kommers…
Amazon’s October Prime Day runs October 6-8 as retailers cut prices early
Amazon’s October Prime Day, also called Prime Big Deal Days, runs from October 6 at 3AM ET through 3AM ET on October 8, with discounts already live, according to The Verge, NBC News and Wired. Wired listed Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 at $190 ($…
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…