Briefly

SOUTH KOREA

Google, Apple pay monopolies banned

South Korea's National Assembly approved legislation on Tuesday that bans app store operators such as Google and Apple from forcing developers to use their in-app payment systems. The country is reportedly the first in the world to pass such a bill, which will become law when it is signed by President Moon Jae-in, whose party has backed the legislation. Tech giants have faced widespread criticism over their practice of requiring app developers to use in-app purchasing systems, for which the companies receive commissions of up to 30 percent. They said the commissions help pay for the cost of maintaining the app markets. The legislation prohibits the app market operators from using their monopolies to require such payment systems, which means they must allow for alternative payment methods.

UNITED STATES

No quick relief after Hurricane Ida's wrath

Louisiana residents still reeling from flooding and damage caused by Hurricane Ida scrambled for food, gas, water and relief from the sweltering heat as thousands of line workers toiled to restore electricity and officials vowed to set up more sites where people could get free meals and cool off. Power and water outages affected hundreds of thousands of people, with many of them unable to get immediate relief. The death toll from the hurricane climbed to at least four in Louisiana and Mississippi. The two states are still taking stock of the disaster inflicted by the Category 4 storm that hit 16 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. The United Nations said on Wednesday that Ida could become the costliest weather disaster on record.

Agencies Via Xinhua