The latest short-form news audio from FSN Bureaus worldwide
South Korean lawmakers have passed a bill that designates fine dust as a 'social disaster.' The government has been under immense pressure to deal with air pollution that's literally choking people in that country.
Bruce Harrison reports from Seoul.
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South Koreans are finding it harder to go outside these days without protection… for their lungs.
The surgical looking face masks block fine dust particles, which surged to a record levels in Seoul earlier this month.
The new designation as fine dust as a 'social disaster' allows the government to allocate special funding for prevention and recovery.
Other newly approved bills relax regulations on the use of cars that burn liquified natural gas and mandate the installation of air purifiers in schools.
South Korea largely blames the fine dust surge on pollution drifting over from China.
But the government acknowledges it needs to curb domestic emissions from cars and coal-fired power plants.
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Two bills affecting freedom of speech in Russia are expected to be approved by the upper house of parliament on Wednesday.
If the legislation is passed, fines could be issued to bloggers and media outlets which distribute fake news or insult the state.
Julia Chapman has more from Moscow.
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The massive blackout in Venezuela is costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the oil industry, commercial and service sectors. Power has returned to many parts of the country, but some people have been without power since Thursday.
Juan Carlos Lamas has this report.
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EU leaders are voicing their frustration after the Brexit divorce deal has failed a second time in the UK.
And they're already warning Westminster that if MPs want to extend Article 50, they better having convincing and credible reasons why the EU should grant their request.
Our Europe Correspondent Kevin Ozebek has more from Brussels.
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Hollywood actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among over fifty people charged in a massive nationwide college admissions bribery scandal in the U.S.
It's believed that altogether over $6 million was paid out to fraudulently gain admission to universities including Yale, Stanford, and the University of Southern California.
LA correspondent Mary MacCarthy reports:
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