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☆ Famous scenic waterfall in China goes viral after video appears to show water coming from pipe
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A famous waterfall in China has drawn even more attention than usual – after a video revealed that its majestic falls may be artificially supplied by a water pipe. The Yuntai Waterfall is located in Yuntai Mountain Park, a major tourist attraction in China’s north-central Henan province. A screenshot from a video showing the pipes in Yuntai Waterfall. From WeiboYuntai Mountain Park’s management responded to the video, explaining how changes in the dry season necessitated the extra boost to the falls. The Huangguoshu Waterfall, located in China’s southwestern Guizhou province also suffered in the dry season.

Persons: ”, “ Organizations: CNN, country’s Ministry of Culture, Weibo Locations: China, China’s, Henan, Waterfall, Weibo, Guizhou

☆ Apple plans to spend more in Vietnam as it looks beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Apple (AAPL) has already spent almost $16 billion through its supply chain in the country since 2019, the government quoted Cook as saying. According to the statement, Cook said Apple “stands ready … to enhance cooperation and investment activities” in the Southeast Asian country. Nguyen, whose firm manages $6 billion in assets, told CNN that labor costs in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector are about half those in neighboring China. That’s a big draw for foreign tech companies looking to hire workers for their factories, and find consumers for their products. Still, Vietnam represents a far smaller market than India, which has also been wooing large foreign companies, including Tesla (TSLA), to set up factories in the country.

Persons: Tim Cook, Pham Minh Chinh, Cook, Apple “, Thuy Anh, Nguyen, Dan Ives, “ We’re, ”, “, Tuan Hung, Ho, That’s, Ives, Juliana Liu Organizations: London CNN, Apple, Vietnamese, Dragon, CNN, country’s Ministry of Planning, Investment, Wedbush Securities, Intel, Consumer, Monetary Fund Locations: Vietnam, China, Hanoi, Beijing, India, United States, Ho Chi Minh City, Washington, That’s, Europe

☆ Son Jun-ho: South Korean soccer player returns home after being detained in China on suspicion of accepting bribes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —South Korean soccer star Son Jun-ho, who was detained in China for allegedly accepting bribes, has recently returned home, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday. The ministry has been communicating with the Chinese authorities through “various channels” and requested cooperation to “ensure a swift and fair process,” it said without giving details of the release. He has also represented South Korea’s men’s national team and reached the knockout stages of the World Cup in 2022 with the squad. Son became the first foreign soccer player to be investigated and detained since the CSL started in 2004, according to China’s state-run Global Times. His arrest was part of a broader initiative by Beijing to rid Chinese soccer of alleged corruption in the highest levels of the sport, during which the Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog has been investigating a host of Chinese Football Association figures.

Persons: Son, “, ” Organizations: CNN, South, country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Super League, Football Association, Korea’s, CSL, Times, Communist, Chinese Football Association Locations: South Korean, China, China’s, Liaoning, Shandong Taishan, Beijing

one of the deadliest wildfires in decades ripped through Chile’s coastal cities of Vina Del mar and Quilpué. Weeks later, some residents and firefighters questioned whether a lack of water to fight the fast moving wildfire contributed to the high death toll. Rodrigo Mundaca, one of Chile’s staunchest water rights advocates, is currently governor of the region where the wildfire hit. In march, Chile’s Congress said it would investigate the handling of the wildfire, including a lack of evacuation plans and lack of water to hydrants. And the country’s Ministry of Public Works is investigating specific complaints that Esval fall failed to provide adequate water to combat the wildfire.

Persons: Weeks, New York Times ’, Rodrigo Mundaca, Vina Del Mar’s, Ariel Orellana’s mother’s, Daniel Garín Organizations: Vina Del, New York Times, Ministry, Public Locations: Vina, Chile, Vina Del Mar’s El Olivar, Quilpué

☆ French lawmakers approve bill penalizing fast fashion
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Oscar Holland | Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —France’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a bill seeking penalties on ultra-fast fashion products, sold by companies like China’s Shein, aimed at helping to offset their environmental impact. All voting lawmakers unanimously approved the bill, which will head to the senate before it can become law. Jade Gao/AFP/Getty ImagesThe bill comes as the French environmental ministry said it would propose a European Union ban on exports of used clothes, in a bid to tackle the worsening problem of textile waste. At the time, the country’s ministry of ecology said that French people throw away 700,000 tons of clothes — two-thirds of which ends up in landfills — each year. Among the world’s most polluting industries, fashion accounts for between 3% and 5% of global carbon emissions, according to consultancy McKinsey’s State of Fashion report.

Persons: CNN Shein, Christophe Béchu, Jade Gao Organizations: Reuters, CNN, Workers, Getty, McKinsey’s State Locations: Zara, China's, Guangdong, AFP, McKinsey’s

☆ Dozens Feared Dead in Collapse of Informal Gold Mine in Mali
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Elian Peltier | More About Elian Peltier | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Scores of people have died in the West African nation of Mali after an informal gold mine collapsed last week, the country’s Ministry of Mines said on Wednesday, highlighting the risks that countless artisanal miners face in one of Africa’s largest gold-producing countries. Several West African countries have experienced a new boom in informal mining, also known as artisanal mining, over the past two decades. It has provided a livelihood to thousands of people, fed trafficking routes and attracted armed groups. In northern Mali, for instance, Tuareg rebels and insurgents affiliated with Al Qaeda control mining sites. About six tons came from artisanal mining.

Persons: Seydou Traoré Organizations: country’s Ministry of Mines, Associated Press, Al Locations: West African, Mali, Bamako, Al Qaeda

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Seoul/Hong Kong CNN —When Hwang Ji-sun, 52, first joined the assembly line at South Korean carmaker Hyundai 22 years ago, women like her had it tough. A wider problemDespite the incremental improvements, South Korea still has widespread problems of gender-based exclusion and low pay, researchers say. Gita Gopinath, first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has proposed South Korea adopt new measures to help keep women in the workforce. Making childcare more affordable, lowering the number of working hours or allowing more flexible arrangements is key, she told a South Korean forum last September. In a culturally conservative society like South Korea, much more needs to be done to change perceptions about women in male-dominated professions, according to Hwang.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Hwang Ji, Hwang —, ”, Jung Sungmi, Hwang, Yasuyoshi Chiba, PIIE, Gita Gopinath, Roh Helena, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hyundai, Korea Metal Workers ’ Union, CNN, ”, Economic Co, Development, Korean Women’s Development, Getty, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, country’s Ministry of Employment, Labor, Peterson Institute for International Economics, International Monetary Fund, South, “, Korean Women Workers Association, Hyundai Motor Locations: Seoul, Hong Kong, South Korea, Ulsan, United States, Turkey, India, Indonesia, AFP, South, Korea, South Korean

☆ Dubai police seize over $1 billion of captagon drug smuggled inside furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A surveillance video shared by the interior ministry on Thursday shows the suspects attempting to bring the captagon tablets through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port. UAE authorities have seized hundreds of thousands of captagon pills since 2019. Captagon was originally the brand name for a medicinal product containing the synthetic stimulant fenethylline. Experts say the vast majority of global captagon production occurs in Syria, with the Gulf region being its primary destination. Last year, the US introduced the 2022 US Captagon Act, which linked the trade to the Syrian regime and called it a “transnational security threat.”

Persons: Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Captagon, ” Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, country’s Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, ”, Twitter, Customs, European Monitoring Centre, Drugs, Addiction, US Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, UAE, Jebel Ali Port, Abu, Syria

☆ Why Korean Air will be weighing some passengers before their flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Passengers flying with Korean Air in the next few weeks may be asked to take one additional step before boarding – getting on the scale. Korean Air is one of the many airlines around the globe that is required to periodically obtain plane weight data. If a passenger would prefer not to have their weight data collected, Korean Air confirms that they can opt out by letting a staff member know. No one can see your weight, not even us,” a representative from Air NZ, the country’s national carrier, said at the time. Once data is gathered, it helps airlines make decisions about fuel needs and weight distribution on board.

Persons: isn’t, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Korean Air, Gimpo International, Incheon International Airport, country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Air, Zealand, JFK, Air NZ Locations: Korean, Auckland, New

☆ Fact Check-No evidence 5G banned in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Claims Russian President Vladimir Putin banned 5G across Russia following deaths of school children near St. Petersburg stem from a website previously fact-checked by Reuters. One post (here) includes the text, “Putin Bans 5G across Russia, Destroys All Towers. What has #Russia uncovered that would make them take such drastic action and should we consider doing the same? Reuters did not find any credible reports that 5G has been banned in Russia or that school children were killed by 5G near St. Petersburg (bit.ly/47s5I4w), as mentioned in the article. There’s no evidence President Vladimir Putin is banning 5G in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, “, Mikhail Mishustin, Read Organizations: Reuters, “ Putin, Real Raw, 5G, Russian, country’s Ministry of Health Locations: Russia, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Russian, russia

Critics say the move is a part of a sustained effort to indoctrinate school children and stifle any independent thinking. Russian President Vladimir Putin has always maintained that Moscow’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine is an effort to liberate the country from a “Nazi regime” and Western influence. No critical thinking allowedMany countries introduce school children to patriotic ideas and civic values. According to independent human rights monitor OVD-Info, there have been almost 20,000 people detained for protesting against the war in Russia. This complete crackdown on freedom of speech means there isn’t a force in Russia that can counteract school propaganda.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergey Kravtsov, ” Kravtsov, Katerina Tertytchnaya, “ There’s, ”, Putin, Yuri Kadobnov, Sergey Lavrov, Kirill, ” Ian Garner, ” Tertytchnaya, ” Garner, Garner Organizations: CNN, country’s Ministry of Education, Nazi, Russian, Russian Federation, RIA Novosti, University College London, Ministry of Education, Schools, Getty, Kremlin, University of Chicago’s, Political, Students Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, Moscow, AFP, Russian, France, Russians, China

☆ Escaped bear delays flight in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —A bear being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai Friday caused delays after it escaped from a crate in the cargo hold. The bear was sedated by a specialist team in Dubai and taken off the plane, Iraqi Airways said in a statement shared with CNN. The airline issued an apology on Saturday, saying the bear had escaped the crate “upon arrival to Dubai Airport.”“The company apologizes to the passengers on the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company,” it said. “Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment,” the airline said, adding that it was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines. “Two small, endangered bears were shipped from Baghdad, and when the flight arrived in Dubai, one of the bears broke his cage, forcing health and environment authorities at Dubai airport to sedate it,” the statement said.

Persons: Mohammed Shia Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Iraqi Airways, ”, CNN, Dubai Airport, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

CNN —The Nigerien military has backed coup leaders who have reportedly seized the president of the West African country, prompting warnings from international leaders over further unrest in a region plagued by political volatility. President Bazoum was apparently taken by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown. Niger’s presidential office said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, pictured on December 13, 2022, was reportedly seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. 1,000 US troopsWorld leaders and humanitarian bodies issued stark warnings against the coup leaders.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, insurgencies, Bazoum, Evelyn Hockstein, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Abdramane, Jake Sullivan, Washington, Volker Türk, ” Türk, General Antonio Guterres, Bazoum “, African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, “ Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, Twitter, country’s Ministry of Defense, Interior Ministry, National Guard, White, US, Air Base, United Nations, Human, UN, African Union Commission Locations: West, ” Niger, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, France, Niger, Niamey, Washington, Agadez, The

CNN —The leader of Niger has reportedly been seized by members of the presidential guard, triggering warnings from regional powers a coup is underway. They said heavily armed members of the Presidential Guard began assembling outside the Presidential Palace early on Wednesday morning. The journalist observed roughly twenty members of the Presidential Guard outside the palace complex later in the day. A statement on the presidency’s social media channels said President Mohamed Bazoum is “doing well.” CNN cannot verify the statement. Boureima Hama/AFP/Getty ImagesNigerian president Bola Tinubu – the current chair of ECOWAS – has also issued a statement condemning “unpleasant developments” in Niger.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, ”, Boureima, Bola Tinubu, –, Tinbu, Bazoum Organizations: CNN, West African States, “, Presidential Guard, Republic, Army, National Guard, “ ECOWAS, United States Africa Command, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, country’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry, Interior, la Republique, Agency, Getty Images, ECOWAS Locations: Niger, Niamey, ”, West, Republic, United, AFP, “, Rue, Boureima Hama, Republic of Niger, West Africa, France

CNN —A music festival in Malaysia has been canceled after the lead singer of British band The 1975 Matty Healy slammed the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws and kissed a bandmate on stage. The on-stage incident at the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night prompted the country’s Ministry of Communications to cancel the rest of the three-day event. Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and punishable by fines and up to 20 years in prison. Healy added that the band considered canceling the show but decided against it to not disappoint the fans. In 2019, Healy kissed a male fan during a concert in Dubai, in defiance of the region’s anti-LGBT laws.

Persons: Matty Healy, Healy, “, ”, you’re, ” Healy, Ross MacDonald, It’s, – Healy Organizations: CNN, country’s Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Communications, Digital, Malaysian Home Affairs Ministry, Nazi, Kanye, Twitter Locations: Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai

On Thursday, regulators orchestrated an agreement between Tesla (TSLA.O) and 15 Chinese rivals to avoid “abnormal pricing”, sealing the deal at a signing ceremony in Shanghai, Bloomberg reported. Perhaps as a result, sellers of internal combustion engines frequently offered steeper discounts compared to battery-powered rivals, Citi’s data show. In this case, at least, it appears to be trying to keep competition healthy, targeting only “abnormal pricing”. If nothing else, Beijing’s intervention offers a welcome pause in hostilities. Over 30 brands in China announced discounts in the first three months of the year, according to industry consultancy Automobility.

Persons: It’s, Bill Russo, AlixPartners, Tesla, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Tesla, Bloomberg, FAW Audi, BAIC Hyundai, Citi, HK, country’s Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Shanghai, Xpeng, China

☆ How a deadly bat virus found new ways to infect people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

Scientists found bats with Nipah virus roosting near Sabith’s home. A search of the neighborhood led to a colony, near their house, of flying foxes, a common fruit bat. NETTING NIPAH: Researchers in Bangladesh use nets to catch bats and collect samples to find the Nipah virus in the wild. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainWhether Sabith ate contaminated fruit or somehow came into direct contact with a bat, the virus entered his cells. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainA year later, Chua’s team found the same strain of Nipah virus in flying foxes.

☆ Why Do Cats Hold Such Mythic Power in Japan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Hanya Yanagihara | Kyoko Hamada | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Now the sun was fading, and Mihoko and I went to a coffeehouse to discuss the lack of cats. (Later, I also thought that the cats’ relative scarcity made them more precious; at one number, they were curiosities. Or maybe, even, it was possible to believe that the cats knew something we didn’t. Although Tokyo, with its 14 million residents, remains one of the largest cities in the world, other parts of Japan are emptying of humans. But although the humans hadn’t been able to replace themselves after a certain point, the cats had had no such problems.

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —A nationwide power outage in Pakistan left nearly 220 million people without electricity on Monday, threatening to cause havoc in the South Asian nation already grappling with fuel shortages in the winter months. It is unclear how long the outage will last and efforts are underway to restore power to various parts of the country. The outage comes as the country’s fragile economy continues to struggle with multiple challenges, including a severe energy crisis. The decision to reduce energy usage came as Pakistan announced its foreign exchange reserves had dwindled to alarmingly low levels. Monday’s power outage is Pakistan’s most widespread power shutdown since 2021, when the nation plunged into darkness for hours after a “sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system.”

☆ Kabosu: 'Doge' meme shiba inu is seriously ill with leukemia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Tara Mulholland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Kabosu, the internet-famous dog who inspired the “doge” meme and influenced digital culture for a decade, is seriously ill with leukemia and liver disease. While Sato said Kabosu’s appetite had returned, she had previously blogged that the dog was moving around less, and more slowly. It reached a peak value of more than $400 in 2014, and is considered the first “meme coin” or satire of cryptocurrency. After it raised funds for the Ukrainian military, the country’s Ministry of Defense tweeted its thanks with a photoshopped image of a shiba inu in fatigues. In Sato’s most recent posts about Kabosu, she said the dog was “in a very dangerous condition” and appeared to be jaundiced, but was also taking antibiotics.

CNN —Peru’s new President Dina Boluarte has proposed bringing general elections forward two years to April 2024, during a televised speech delivered early Monday morning, amid ongoing protests throughout the country. Boluarte became Peru’s first female president last week after lawmakers removed her predecessor Pedro Castillo. Castillo on Monday insisted that he is still Peru’s President, according to a series of tweets posted on his Twitter account. Protestors take over the Pan-American highway in Arequipa, Peru, on December 12, 2022. Diego Ramos/AFP/Getty ImagesPolice officers clash with protesters in Arequipa, Peru December 12, 2022.

☆ Kenya drought: Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests and zebras reported dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Idris Mukhtar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hundreds of elephants, wildebeests, and zebras have died across Kenya amid the nation’s longest drought in decades. “The Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers, Community Scouts, and Research Teams counted the deaths of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy’s zebras, and 12 giraffes in the past nine months,” a report released Friday by the country’s Ministry of Tourism said. An elephant keeper rests next to a month-old calf at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images“The drought has caused mortality of wildlife, mostly herbivore species,” Malonza said. According to the ministry, Kenya had just 36,000 elephants left last year.

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