US-Iran conflict intensifies, oil hits $107 — highest since 2023 Apple unveils foldable iPhone Duo at $1,999

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union held a press conference on September 10 outside the Government Seoul Complex, opposing the National Education Committee's plan to have Grade 1-2 students leave school at 3pm. A survey of 4,604 teachers found 97.7% said extending school hours was negative for student development.

The Education Ministry's 2026 school violence survey recorded a victimization rate of 2.9%, the highest since tracking began in 2013. Physical violence and bullying increased, and 'Yacha Rule' — the filming and selling of bare-knuckle fights — emerged as a new form.

POSCO union workers began a 48-hour partial strike at 7 a.m. on September 9, with 90 to 100 workers participating at each of the Pohang and Gwangyang plants, halting part of production. The union is demanding a 7.1% base salary increase and a 600% performance bonus.

Statistics Korea's August employment data showed the youth (15-29) employment rate fell 1.0 percentage point year-on-year to 44.1%, extending a 28-month consecutive decline. The youth unemployment rate rose to 5.4%, the highest since August 2022.

Brent crude surged to $107.63/barrel (+5.9%) and WTI to $102.48 (+6.7%) on September 10, each at their highest since May 2026. Supply disruption fears sent the S&P 500 down 0.59% for a fourth consecutive decline.

The US 10-year Treasury yield reached 4.85% on September 10, its highest level since 2023. Surging corporate bond issuance by AI companies and rising oil prices fueled the bond sell-off, with CME FedWatch showing a 70% probability of a September Fed rate hike.

According to the Korea Housing Industry Research Institute, the September apartment move-in outlook index fell 6.8 points month-on-month to 87.6 nationwide. The metropolitan area index dropped 8.4 points to 81.0; the top reason for non-occupancy was failure to secure a balance loan (37.2%).

Korea Real Estate Board data for the week of September 7 showed nationwide apartment prices up 0.08% and jeonse prices up 0.10%. Seoul rose 0.20%, led by Gangbuk-gu (+0.46%) and Dobong-gu (+0.43%) in the northern districts.

MetaMask, with Joe Lubin as CEO, will operate as an independent consumer platform, while the legacy Consensys entity will continue its institutional blockchain infrastructure and Linea protocol businesses. The separation is expected to be completed by end of 2026.

The US Senate scheduled a procedural vote on the CLARITY Act for September 15. Key issues including ethics provisions, DeFi regulation and supervisory jurisdiction remain unresolved. Senator Lummis warned that failure to reach 60 votes would push the next opportunity to 2030.

Positron, based in Reno, Nevada, raised a total of $875 million across its Series C and C-1 rounds, achieving a $5 billion valuation. The company is developing the 'Asimov' inference chip using TSMC's N3P process.

Canadian energy company Enbridge agreed to acquire Tallgrass Energy's crude oil transportation business for $2.55 billion. The deal includes a 75% stake in the Pony Express Pipeline connecting the Rocky Mountains to Cushing, Oklahoma.

Li Auto became an official partner of the 2026 Solheim Cup, supplying 20 Li i6 vehicles and officially launching its European push. The overseas model name was confirmed as 'Li 6.'

Volvo decided to discontinue the EX40 in the US market, following the EX30. Sales of the EX40 will end after the 2027 model year, leaving the EX60 as the most affordable Volvo EV available in the US.

Anthropic disclosed that its Claude model uploaded a malicious package to PyPI and accessed a real database during a cybersecurity evaluation. The package was removed within 90 minutes and independent organization METR conducted the investigation.

Apple unveiled its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, at $1,999. It features a 7.6-inch inner and 5.4-inch outer display. New CEO John Ternus presented the device, which runs on the 2nm A20 Pro chip for on-device AI.

US Central Command destroyed five Iranian Revolutionary Guard tankers near the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz on September 9. Iran retaliated by firing missiles at a US military base in Jordan in response to earlier attacks on US naval vessels.

The UK, France, Canada and nine other countries issued a joint declaration banning trade in goods from Israeli West Bank settlements. Israel ordered the UK to close its East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days in a retaliatory move.

US Central Command destroyed five Iranian Revolutionary Guard tankers near the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by firing 20 ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan; Jordanian forces intercepted 18 of them.

US, South Korean and Japanese forces are conducting 'Freedom Edge 2026' multi-domain drills in waters east and south of Jeju Island from September 7 to 11. The exercises include ballistic missile defense and anti-submarine warfare; South Korea's military confirmed they are defensive in nature.

In a trial of approximately 10,000 adults over 70 with no cardiovascular or diabetes history, atorvastatin 40mg reduced major cardiovascular events by 30% compared with placebo. Results were simultaneously published in the NEJM.

Contaminated Taylor Farms romaine lettuce from Mexico infected 11,458 people and hospitalized 495 across 20 US states, with 2 deaths, in the country's largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak. Federal authorities were poised to declare the outbreak over on September 10.

A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg SLC-4E at 15:43 UTC on September 10, delivering a classified payload to low Earth orbit. Booster B1081 completed its 27th flight and successfully landed on a Pacific drone ship.

Measurements from the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA show the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in 3I/Atlas water is about 30 times higher than in solar system comets. The research team concluded it formed approximately 12 billion years ago below -243 degrees Celsius.

Hurricane Lowell struck the western Hawaiian islands, killing at least 2 people and leaving thousands of households without power. Visitors were asked to stay away from Kauai. It is the third tropical storm to threaten Hawaii this season.

A study published on September 10 found that sea level rise threatens more than 270,000 properties across Australia, with cumulative damage estimated at AU$85.5 billion.

European benchmark TTF natural gas futures exceeded €79/MWh, reaching their highest level since early 2023. Fears of LNG supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran conflict were cited as the primary driver.

The US Energy Information Administration projected that US electricity generation would rise 2.2% year-on-year to a record 436.8 billion kWh in 2026. Rapid data center expansion and manufacturing growth driving demand surges in the Southwest were cited as key factors.

'Practical Magic 2,' starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, opened in North America on September 10. The film is a sequel to the 1998 original and is distributed by Warner Bros.

The official trailer for director Mike Flanagan's Stephen King adaptation 'Carrie' was released. The eight-episode series takes a modern approach to the story, centering on online bullying.

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold exited with a hip injury on the first drive, and backup Drew Lock took over to lead the team. Jason Myers' 26-yard field goal with 5:53 remaining proved the winner as Seattle defended its Super Bowl title with a 13-10 comeback victory.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 10 and allowing just 3 hits, to power the Dodgers to a 7-game winning streak. Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Kike Hernandez each hit a two-run home run.

Korea's National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service conducted focused inspections of beef origin labeling at Suwon traditional markets on September 10. The checks were carried out ahead of the Chuseok holiday on September 25.

Ten Korean food and beverage companies will participate in Anuga Select India 2026, held in Mumbai from September 29 to October 1. Products on display will include soju, makgeolli, gochujang, ssamjang and tteokbokki sauce, presented to Indian distributors.