On reclaimed coastal land near Seosan in western South Korea, rice farmer Hwang Seong-yeol says the seasons no longer follow the patterns he knew when he started more than 30 years ago. A harsh cold snap in early 2024 delayed growth, followed by summer downpours that flooded his paddies and a damp autumn that triggered fungal disease and reduced yields. Hwang is one of five farmers suing Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and several generation subsidiaries. Their lawsuit argues that the state utility’s reliance on coal and other fossil fuels has intensified climate change, driving the unstable weather that damages…
Author: Emily Harper
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Walmart said Friday that its longtime chief executive Doug McMillon, 59, will retire at the end of January after more than a decade leading the world’s largest retailer. His role as CEO will end on Jan. 31, 2026, and he will stay on the board for a period to support the handover. John Furner, 51, currently president and CEO of Walmart U.S., has been selected to take over on Feb. 1, the first change in the company’s top job since 2014. News of the succession plan initially pushed Walmart’s shares down around 3% in premarket trading, reflecting investors’ sensitivity to…
The surge in artificial intelligence stocks has created what Stefan Hoops, chief executive of Deutsche Bank’s asset management unit DWS, sees as a powerful but potentially unstable phase for global markets. The firm manages about 1.1 trillion euros in assets and is analysing whether the AI boom could unwind faster than previous technology cycles, given how concentrated recent gains have become. Since ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, AI-linked companies have dominated major U.S. benchmarks. Estimates suggest that such stocks are responsible for roughly 75% of the S&P 500’s returns. The “Magnificent Seven” group of large technology names – including…
Brussels Pushes to Close Loophole Two Years Early The European Commission is moving to abolish a long-standing customs exemption for low-value imports by early 2026 — two years earlier than originally planned. The decision aims to curb unfair competition from foreign e-commerce giants and tighten oversight on billions of parcels entering the European Union each year. In a letter seen by POLITICO, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič urged EU finance ministers to fast-track the reform, writing that “a workable solution could be in place for Q1 2026 if we act with the required political determination and…
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a government funding bill that ends a record 43-day shutdown, reopening federal agencies that had been partially closed since October 1. The lapse in funding, the longest in U.S. history and longer than the 35-day partial shutdown of 2018–2019, halted basic federal services and left hundreds of thousands of federal employees either working without pay or furloughed, forcing many to rely on savings, credit or local charities. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump again blamed Democrats for the stalemate, accusing them of using federal workers and the public as leverage in a dispute…
Europe’s tourism industry has entered 2025 in stronger shape than many expected, with travel demand holding up despite persistent price pressures and extreme weather. According to the latest quarterly report from the European Travel Commission (ETC), international arrivals to Europe in the year to date are up 3% compared with last year, while overnight stays have increased by 2.7%. Travellers are also dedicating a larger share of their budgets to holidays: travel expenditure is projected to represent 3.1% of total consumer spending in Europe this year, above both 2024 levels and the 2010–2019 average. Inflation in tourism-related services is gradually…
Denver Star Leads Team to Sixth Straight Win Nikola Jokić delivered a performance for the record books on Wednesday night, scoring 55 points to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The win not only extended Denver’s streak to six games but also marked the first time the team has triumphed when Jokić scores 50 or more. “It’s a good feeling,” said the three-time MVP after matching Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 55-point outing from earlier this season. Until now, the Nuggets had gone 0-4 in games where Jokić reached the half-century mark. The…
A New Home for Storytelling Through Art After more than a decade of anticipation, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is set to open its doors in Los Angeles on September 22, 2026. The ambitious project, founded by filmmaker George Lucas and business leader Mellody Hobson, will celebrate storytelling across cultures and generations, showcasing how visual art conveys emotion, imagination, and shared human experience. Located in Exposition Park, the five-story, 300,000-square-foot museum will feature over 40,000 works spanning centuries of narrative art — from Renaissance paintings and early photography to comic books, digital art, and cinema memorabilia. Designed by MAD…
Apple has removed two of China’s most widely used gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from the App Store after receiving an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The company said it abides by local laws in the markets where it operates, without offering further details on the specific grounds cited by regulators. The move underscores the balancing act Apple faces in a strategically important market while navigating tightening content rules and political sensitivities. The takedown aligns with a pattern in which Apple has previously withdrawn services or apps in response to Chinese directives, including earlier removals of…
The U.S. Senate approved legislation to reopen the federal government, pushing a negotiated deal to the House of Representatives for final action. The measure is a short-term stopgap that would extend funding through Jan. 30 and is intended to end the current shutdown once the House returns to Washington to vote. Senate leaders said the chamber’s passage brings the standoff markedly closer to resolution after cross-party talks produced a compromise. According to the Associated Press, the Senate’s action sets up a brief window in which the shutdown could technically persist for a few more days as House members reconvene to…
