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☆ How ‘Deepfake Elon Musk’ Became the Internet’s Biggest Scammer
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

How ‘Deepfake Elon Musk’ Became the Internet’s Biggest Scammer An A.I.-powered version of Mr. Musk has appeared in thousands of inauthentic ads, contributing to billions in fraud. Mr. Beauchamp, an 82-year-old retiree, saw a video late last year of Mr. Musk endorsing a radical investment opportunity that promised rapid returns. “I mean, the picture of him — it was him,” Mr. Beauchamp said about the video he saw of Mr. Musk. Original A.I. Audio Original Original A.I.

Persons: ‘ Deepfake Elon, Musk, Steve Beauchamp, Elon, Beauchamp, —, ” Mr, ‘ Pick, ’ that’s, “ It’s, ”, Francesco Cavalli, Scammers, Thorold Barker, Sensity, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, “ Elon, Donald J, Trump, Elon Musk, Andrew Forrest, scammers, Lou Steinberg, Cavalli, Eastern Europe — cobble, “ There’s, Molly White, Finn Brunton, Davis, “ I’m Organizations: A.I, Deloitte, Wall, Street, Amazon, India, Facebook, YouTube, Better Business Bureau, CNET, Meta, Hong Kong’s Securities, Futures Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigations, TED, Fox News, Eastern Europe —, Tesla, University of California, CNN, New York Times, Magna, The New York Times, Better Locations: Sensity, India, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Ontario, Canada

☆ Flags banned, signs ripped up: Why you can’t mention Taiwan at the Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alexander Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

At Paris 2024, Taiwan’s red and blue flag is banned, as is the name “Taiwan” and its anthem. Security staff confiscated a "Taiwan" towel from a fan during the men's doubles badminton semi-final last week. Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that competes as “Chinese Taipei,” an attempt to participate in the Olympics without angering mainland China. That included the women’s team table tennis quarterfinal between Chinese Taipei and China that NBC News attended Wednesday. “Taiwan Independence, go to die.”“Motherland will retake Taiwan tomorrow, okay?” said another, referring to China.

Persons: Taiwan’s Lee Yang, Wang Chi, Liang Weikeng, Wang Chang, “ Let’s, Arun Sankar, Taiwan ”, Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen, India’s Lakshya Sen, ”, Ann Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Aytac Unal, Mark Adams, Mao Zedong’s, China’s Wang Manyu, Chien Tung, chuan, Wang Zhao, Chiang, Yu Tsing Lin, Chen Szu, Lee Yang Organizations: PARIS, Security, Getty, Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olympics, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Games, Olympic, Chinese Communist Party, International Olympic Committee, NBC News, IOC, Anadolu, Nationalist, Mao Zedong’s Communists, Taiwan, Paris Games, Taipei women’s, Weibo, Taipei House Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Tokyo, Paris, China, Taipei, U.S, Republic of China, Formosa, AFP, London, Taiwan Independence

Hong Kong CNN —Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate has a decades-long connection with China. “I remember waking up and seeing the news on June 4 that the unthinkable had happened,” Walz told Voice of America in an interview in 2014. The newlyweds spent their honeymoon taking students on two-week tours in China for sightseeing and classes on culture, education and history. In Chinese nationalist circles, which have an outsized voice on policy debates in China, there are no rosy illusions about Walz. The hashtag “Harris’ VP pick once taught in China” racked up 15 million views on microblogging site Weibo.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Kamala Harris ’, Tim Walz, Walz, ”, Dalai Lama, Joshua Wong, Shen Dingli, ” Shen, ’ Walz, “, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, ” Walz, Gwen, Cara Roemhildt, ” Roemhildt, Jeff Widener, ’ ”, Liu Dongshu, Liu Xiaobo, Lobsang Sangay, ” Tim Walz, X, Hong Kong’s, Wong, ” Jeffrey Ngo, “ Walz, ” Ngo, ” Shen Yi, “ We’re, ” Stephen Roach, Morgan Stanley Asia, Harris, Eric Fish, Hong Kong's, Joshua Wang, George H, Bush, Bush’s, there’s, Liu, “ Harris, China ”, –, Xi Jinping, “ Heh, I’ve, they’re Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Democratic, United States ’, Republican, Communist Party, Star, Herald, CNN, Harvard University, Paramount, America, “, of, People, Associated, Congressional, Commission, City University of Hong, Hong, Hong Kong Human Rights, Democracy, White Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Minnesota, Tiananmen, Nebraska, Shanghai, Foshan, Guangdong, America, Congress, City University of Hong Kong, Tibet, Dalai, Washington, “, South China, Weibo

☆ Nikkei 225: Japan stock market rally fades as fears of US economic slowdown, yen volatility return
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meanwhile, the yen strengthened 0.6% to 146 against the US dollar, after losing nearly 2% on Tuesday and Wednesday combined. But those fears, as well as a further jump in the value of the yen, are still haunting the market. The volatility in the yen, which was at the heart of recent market turmoil, remains elevated, he added. On Monday, the Nikkei plummeted by the most since 1987, sparking a broader global market sell-off. The narrowing of the interest rate differentials, which had enabled the yen carry trade, could push the yen higher, Kuptiskevich added.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Germany’s DAX, Shinichi Uchida, Uchida, ”, Stephen Innes, Alex Kuptsikevich, Masamichi Adachi, Innes, Taiwan’s Taiex, Hang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nikkei, CAC, Nasdaq, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, FxPro, Federal, Fed, UBS, UBS Chief Investment, Kospi, Hang Seng Locations: Hong Kong, Europe, Japan, unwind

☆ Nikkei 225: Asian markets make solid gains following global rout
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Asian markets made solid gains Wednesday, with Japanese shares reversing early losses after a central bank official played down the prospect of an immediate hike in interest rates. The gains follow days of volatility, which saw the Nikkei suffering Monday its biggest daily loss since 1987. “We won’t raise interest rates when financial markets are unstable,” he was quoted as saying in a speech to executives in the northern Japanese city of Hakodate. The central bank has hiked interest rates twice this year in a bid to contain inflation. Decades of extremely low interest rates in Japan had seen many investors borrow cash cheaply there before converting it to other currencies to invest in higher-yielding assets.

Persons: Shinichi Uchida, Kospi, Hong, Taiex, Uchida, ”, Olesya Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, US, Dow, Nasdaq Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, South, Hakodate, “, Japan, Europe, London

Japan stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday after the Nikkei 225 and the Topix dropped over 12% in the previous session. The Bank of Japan raising rates to their highest level since 2008 on July 30 caused the yen to strengthen to a seven-month high, pressurizing stocks. Markets globally were also spooked by fears of a U.S. recession stoked by a weaker-than-expected jobs report. Real wages in Japan also grew 1.1% in June compared with a year ago, the first time that wages have risen in 26 months. Strong wage growth offers more room for the Bank of Japan to tighten its monetary policy.

Persons: Topix, Korea’s Kospi, Hong, Australia’s, Brent, Dow Organizations: Nikkei, Bank of, Softbank Group Corp, U.S ., South Korean, Samsung Electronics, chipmaker SK Hynix, China’s CSI, . West Texas, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, Dow, Nasdaq Locations: Japan, Asia, Pacific, Bank of Japan, U.S

☆ Japan stocks plunge as much as 7%, hovering near bear market territory, as Asia shares extend sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Japan’s markets led losses in the region as the Nikkei 225 and Topix dropped as much as 7% in volatile trading. At these levels, both the Nikkei and Topix are nearing bear market territory, having fallen almost 20% from their all-time highs on July 11. Monday’s decline follows Friday’s rout when Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix fell more than 5% and 6%, respectively. The broader Topix marked its worst day in eight years, while the Nikkei marked its worst day since March 2020. The Nasdaq was the first of the three major benchmarks to enter correction territory, down more than 10% from its record high.

Persons: Topix, “, Australia’s, Kospi Organizations: Nikkei, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Co, Sumitomo, Topix, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, CSI, Nasdaq, Dow, Dow Jones Locations: Asia, Pacific, China, Taiwan, Australia, India, U.S

☆ Nikkei 225: Japan stocks rebound sharply after worst rout in history as other Asia markets also rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Laura He | Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Japanese shares soared in early trading on Tuesday, clawing back most of their record losses from the previous day and underpinning a regional rally. The Nikkei 225 last traded about 10% higher, while South Korea’s Kospi rebounded by about 3%. They all suffered major losses during the previous trading session. The bounce in Japan is “typical after a market crash,” Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory in Tokyo, told CNN. Losses like that led the Nikkei to close 12.4% lower on Monday in its largest one-day fall since October 1987.

Persons: clawing, Kospi, ” Neil Newman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nikkei, Advisory, CNN, Kikkoman, Nasdaq, Bank of Japan Locations: Hong Kong, South, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo

Hong Kong/London CNN —Japanese stocks on Monday suffered their biggest daily loss since 1987 as fears about a US economic slowdown sent shock waves through global markets. The Nikkei 225 index of leading stocks in Tokyo lost a staggering 4,451 points, its biggest point drop in history. On the more common, percentage measure, the index closed more than 12% down — according to Reuters, its largest one-day fall since October 1987. He was referring to “Black Monday” in October 1987, when global markets plunged and the Nikkei lost 3,836 points. The Nikkei closed down 5.8% Friday, as traders fretted about the impact of a stronger yen on Japanese companies.

Persons: ” Neil Newman, ”, Stephen Innes, Newman, Mohit Kumar, Taiwan’s Taiex, Kospi, Innes, Tom Kloza, Bitcoin Organizations: London CNN, Reuters, Advisory, CNN, Nikkei, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Management, Trading, Nasdaq, Dow, Jefferies, Traders, greenback, PMI, Intel, Brent, Oil Price Information Service Locations: Hong Kong, London, Tokyo, Japan, South Korea, “, Asia, Europe, South, Shanghai, China, United States

☆ These vision-impaired Olympic stars rely on a ‘sixth sense’ when they compete
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Maya Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Nedoroscik is not the only Olympic athlete with vision impairment excelling in their sport. “For an athlete with a visual impairment, they might have better proprioception, a better vestibular system or better audition. A new superpowerOlympic athletes with vision impairment have shown that you don’t need 20/20 vision to get the job done. USA Goalball National Team Athlete and 4x Paralympian Tyler Merren says the only difference between a "Paralympic athlete and an able-bodied athlete" is the disability. “All of these athletes are so empowering to kids like my patients, who can see [visual impairment] is not limiting them.

Persons: Stephen Nedoroscik, Daniel Wiffen, Rebeca Andrade, Nedoroscik, ”, NBC’s, Becky Sauerbrunn, goalball, Tyler Merren, Merren, “, I’m, Rupa Wong, Daniel Wiffen of, Ueslei Marcelino, Gordon Waddington, Wong, it’s, Fabrice Sarlegna, Aristotle, Jamie Squire, ” Wong, Goalball, Kiyoshi Ota, It’s, Clark Kent, Leonardo da Vinci, ” Merren, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Saturday’s, Paris Games, US, Honolulu Eye Clinic, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Reuters, University of Canberra Research, Sport, Australian Institute of Sport, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Aix Marseille University, Team Brazil, Olympic Games, Bercy Arena, Olympic, International Paralympic, Team Japan, Tokyo, of Blind, US Association of Blind Athletes, Get CNN, CNN Health, “ Locations: Brazil, Honolulu, Paris, France, Waddington, goalball, Chiba, Japan, USA

☆ Taiwan is making a TV show about a Chinese invasion. And it’s hitting close to home
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The 17-minute trailer hit close to home in Taiwan, making headlines in local media and garnering more than a million views on YouTube. But Hsin-mei Cheng, the showrunner of “Zero Day,” worried that her fellow Taiwan citizens have grown “too numb” to the danger of an impending conflict. Hsin-mei Cheng, the showrunner of "Zero Day," says she hopes the show can serve as a wakeup call to the people of Taiwan. Cheng also assembled a team of 10 directors, each responsible for an episode in “Zero Day” that tells an independent story. In “Zero Day,” Chinese infiltration and cognitive warfare takes on many forms – from the lure of money and power to the threat of violence.

Persons: ”, China’s, Xi Jinping, Cheng, “, Mei Cheng, Nancy Pelosi’s, Robert Tsao, Lo Ging, Howard Yu, ” Cheng, Lo, Chapman, Hong Kong’s, –, livestreaming, influencers, Beijing’s, Howard Yu Su Tzu, yun, Lee Yen, China – Organizations: Taipei CNN, China’s People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Communist Party, YouTube, CNN, Presidential, Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, Netflix, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Kuomintang Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, Taiwan, dramatize, China, Ukraine, Beijing, Kinmen

☆ Vietnam’s president is confirmed as the new Communist Party chief — the country’s most powerful role
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Vietnamese President To Lam was confirmed Saturday as the new chief of the Communist Party after his predecessor died July 19. Lam will be the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country’s most powerful political role, state media said. The previous general secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, dominated Vietnamese politics since he became party chief in 2011. He was elected to a third term as general secretary in 2021. Giang said the party will vote for the general secretary again in 2026, and Lam’s performance will be a factor.

Persons: Lam, Nguyen Phu Trong, ” Lam, Trong, Nguyen Khac Giang, – Yusof, Giang, ” Organizations: Communist Party, Communist Party of Vietnam, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Studies Locations: PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

☆ Behind McKenzie Long’s Olympic debut, a mother’s love and a profound grief
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Marcus Thompson Ii | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Then she was one of the darlings of the Olympic trials. It pushes me through.”Gabby Thomas and McKenzie Long embrace after the 200-meter at U.S. Olympic trials. Running for Ole Miss, McKenzie Long was 2024 NCAA outdoor champion in the 100- and 200-meter. I got us.”An open book like her mother, she’s talked of her bouts with anxiety, and how overwhelming the transition to professional has been. GO DEEPER Gabby Thomas, Olympic 200-meter favorite, is firmly in the spotlight — and ready for it(Top photo of McKenzie Long during U.S. Olympic trials: Charlie Neibergall / AP)

Persons: ” McKenzie Long, Long, Tara Elizabeth Jones, neé Murphy, Jones, “, ” Long, mascara, pouncing, it’s, she’d, Dang, Patrick Smith, could’ve, Sha’Carri Richardson, what’s, ”, Mom, “ You’re McKenzie Long, She’s, she’s, that’s, ” Gabby Thomas, McKenzie Long, Jake, Isaiah, McKenzie, Karmen — Jones, “ Tara, Lizzo, Jake Long, Kenzie, It’s, Ole, Morgan Engel, —, Bowerman, Michael, would’ve, Gabby Thomas, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, Great, of Long, Charlie Neibergall Organizations: Adidas, U.S, Hayward, University of Oregon, Olympic, USA, Ole Miss, NCAA, Paris, Jones, West, North Carolina State’s, Carolina State’s, State, WSAZ News Locations: Hawaii, Eugene ,, Paris, Ironton , Ohio, West Virginia, Ironton, Columbus, North Carolina, N.C, State, N.C . State, America, Instagram

☆ Nikkei 225: Japan plans to raise interest rates and investors are spooked
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Nikkei 225 sank 4.5% on Friday, extending a global stock rout that started following the release of weak US economic data. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised interest rates by 15 basis points to 0.25% on Wednesday, its second hike this year, and announced plans to taper off its policy of bond buying. ”The hike has narrowed the difference in interest rate between the United States and Japan, which pushed the Japanese yen higher against the greenback. Combined with strong corporate earnings and effective corporate governance reforms, the weak yen propelled the Nikkei 225 to all-time highs this year. “From a Japanese equity perspective, the earnings boost from a weak yen is set to diminish,” Citi analysts said on Thursday.

Persons: ”, Ken Cheung, Frank Benzimra, Korea’s, Australia’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Japan’s Nikkei, Nikkei, Bank of Japan, Traders, Mizuho Securities, greenback, Societe Generale, ” Citi, Dow, Nasdaq, Labor Department, “, ” ANZ, Federal Reserve Locations: Hong Kong, United States, Japan, Asia, Shanghai

☆ Olympic swimming: Four takeaways from a thrilling night
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Ledecky broke her own Olympic record set three years ago in Tokyo by more than five seconds and finished 10 seconds ahead of France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, whose finish had the home nation fans in full voice. Marchand set an Olympic record in the 200m breaststroke. Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesHe never looked bothered in the 200-meter breaststroke, setting yet another Olympic record as he cruised to victory. First world record set in the Paris poolThe pool at La Défense Arena has been described as slow by some of the swimmers in Paris. Pan of China reacts after setting a new world record - first swimming world mark of the Paris Games.

Persons: Katie Ledecky, Ledecky, Kirpichnikova, Quinn Rooney, “, I’m, ” Ledecky, Marchand, Léon Marchand, Kristóf Milák, Maddie Meyer, ”, Ueslei Marcelino, Pan Zhanle, Pan, Huske, Sarah Sjöström, Sjöström, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, Sarah Stier, ” Sjöström Organizations: France CNN —, Games, Défense, La Défense, Paris Games, Reuters, La Locations: Nanterres, France, French, Tokyo, France’s, exultation, American, Montreal, Paris, China, Doha, Qatar, Lane, Huske

☆ Nollywood aims to become a global cultural phenomenon like Afrobeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New Orleans, Louisiana CNN —Nollywood, Nigeria’s vibrant film industry, is setting its sights on achieving global recognition akin to the meteoric rise of Afrobeats. As the third-largest film industry in the world by number of films produced annually, Nollywood has long been a significant cultural force within Africa. Global aspirationsToday, Nollywood is not just about entertainment; it’s about cultural representation and storytelling on a grand scale. Nollywood at the Essence Film FestivalAt the Essence Film Festival, a recent addition to the wider festival celebrating Black culture and achievements, Nollywood stars and stakeholders discussed their vision for international expansion. 3 on Netflix’s global film charts in 2023, garnering over 20 million views worldwide.

Persons: Louisiana CNN —, Nollywood, ”, Toyosi Etim, “ Afrobeats, Simisola, Uche, Omotola, “, , “ I’ve, ” Gbadamosi, Disney’s, it’s, Effiong, Moses Babatope, FilmOne, Babatope Organizations: Louisiana CNN, Netflix, Good Media, CNN, Essence, Academy, Hollywood, Nile Media Entertainment Group, Disney, Warner Bros Locations: Orleans, Louisiana, Africa, New Orleans, New Orleans , Louisiana, scriptwriting

☆ Hong Kong Taunts Italy With Pineapple Pizza After Olympics Fencing Win
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( John Yoon | More About John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Losing an Olympic fencing title bout to the champion from Hong Kong was difficult enough for the Italian. Then came the pizza slander. Cheung Ka Long’s triumph over Filippo Macchi of Italy in the gold medal bout in men’s foil on Monday has led to a sour fallout that has spilled off the fencing strip: Pizza Hut’s Hong Kong and Macao branch has offered free pineapple toppings on its pies as fans on social media praised the combination widely shunned by the losing side. “All Hong Kong people are very happy and excited today!” the branch said in a Facebook post on Tuesday announcing the offer, adding it was also celebrating a bronze medal the Chinese territory had won on Monday, in the women’s 200-meter freestyle.

Persons: Cheung Ka, Filippo Macchi Locations: Hong Kong, Italy, Macao

☆ Sotheby’s expands Hong Kong footprint with cavernous new exhibition and retail space
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A fossilized mammoth skull, centuries-old ceramics and Banksy’s famous self-shredding painting are among hundreds of high-value collectibles on show at Sotheby’s ambitious new retail outpost in Hong Kong. With younger collectors seemingly in mind, items on the first floor range in price from 5,000 to 50 million Hong Kong dollars ($640 to $6.4 million). The venture is the latest signal that major auction houses still consider Hong Kong to be their long-term hub in Asia. In June, Hermès also unveiled its expanded retail space in the neighborhood. It has simultaneously sought to grow its footprint in Hong Kong — not only with its newly unveiled Maison, but also a nearby 36,000-square-foot regional headquarters, due to open later this year.

Persons: Maison, Hong Kong, Art Basel’s, Isaac Lawrence, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Sotheby’s, Patrick Drahi, Hong Kong —, Christie’s, Zaha Hadid’s, Phillips, Bonhams, Nathan Drahi Organizations: CNN, Hong Kong, UBS, Art, Art Basel, Getty, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Louis, Sotheby’s Locations: Hong Kong, Central, Asia, China, Hong, Hong Kong's Central, AFP, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Sotheby’s, Sotheby’s Asia, Paris, New York

☆ Don’t help Russia evade sanctions, Ukraine tells Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Hong Kong to prevent Russia from using the Asian financial hub to bypass Western sanctions during a visit to the city on Thursday. Kuleba “called on the Hong Kong administration to take measures to prevent Russia and Russian companies from using Hong Kong to circumvent the restrictive measures imposed for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” according to a statement from Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued after the minister met with Hong Kong leader John Lee. “These restrictive measures are necessary to weaken Russia’s capacity to wage war and kill people in Ukraine,” it added. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government told CNN on Friday that it “implements and strictly enforces” United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions. However, international companies based in Hong Kong, including Chinese banks, have generally adhered to US sanctions to avoid any risk of being frozen out of the dollar dominated global financial system.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Dmytro Kuleba, “, Hong, John Lee, Hong Kong, Wang Yi, ” Kuleba, Wang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — Ukraine’s, European Union, Hong, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs, CNN, ” United Nations Security Council, UN, Assembly, UNSC, EU, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kyiv, Beijing Locations: China, Hong Kong, Russia, United States, Ukraine, Russian, United Kingdom, Hong, Beijing, Moscow, Western, Guangzhou, Ukrainian

☆ He Wrote a Story About Joy, Then Built a Tiny World to Match
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Elisabeth Egan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

This story begins, as many of the best tales do, with the arrival of a dog. Early in the pandemic, Loren Long and his wife, Tracy, rescued Charlie, a tricolor hound with baleful eyes and a foghorn howl. He had energy to burn, so Long started running with him on a stretch of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, which meanders nearly 78 miles from Springfield, Ohio, to Cincinnati. Along their daily route, the pair passed an abandoned, rusted-out school bus moldering at the far end of a field. The faded yellow blended into a dense camouflage of trunks and leaves, but something about the bus caught Long’s eye.

Persons: Loren Long, Tracy, Charlie, Long, ” Organizations: Little Locations: Springfield , Ohio, Cincinnati

☆ Japanese restaurants say they’re not charging tourists more – they’re just charging locals less
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo CNN —Kudos to you if you can speak perfect Japanese and order food at a neighborhood sushi bar in Tokyo. But overtourism – fueled by a combination of pent-up post-Covid demands (aka “revenge travel”) and the weak local currency – has recently prompted restaurants in the country to consider the merits of differential pricing. This year, spurred by a weak yen that has fallen to its lowest level against the dollar in decades, the tourists are back - in big numbers. “Some people say, ‘We don’t do this in our country.’ But think about how bad Japanese people’s English skills are. As the less-expensive resident prices are often written in the local language, foreign tourists may not even know they paid more.

Persons: –, ”, Shogo Yonemitsu, ” Yonemitsu, Elisa Chan, Tamatebako, Rinka Tonsho, CNN Yonemitsu, isn’t, That’s, CNN Shuji Miyake, Phoebe Lee Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Mount Fuji, UNESCO, Chinese University of Hong, CNN Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Shibuya, Mount, Hokkaido, Himeji, In Venice, Tokyo’s Tsukiji

☆ The Illicit Flow of Technology to Russia Goes Through This Hong Kong Address
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Aaron Krolik | Paul Mozur | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

From a nondescript seventh-floor office at 135 Bonham Strand near Hong Kong’s financial district, at least four companies are operating with a shadowy mission: facilitating the illicit trade of Western technology to Russia. Shell companies at that address have acquired millions of restricted chips and sensors for military technology companies in Russia, many of which have been placed under sanctions by the U.S. government, according to an examination by The New York Times. The companies have names like Olax Finance and Rikkon Holding. Their office, with a faded 704 number on the door, appears unoccupied. An ad for air-conditioning hung in the crack of the door.

Organizations: Shell, U.S ., New York Times, Olax Finance, Rikkon Locations: Hong, Russia

☆ Hong Kong’s Bouncy ‘Wonders’ Leave Some Wondering, ‘Why?’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Tiffany May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With darkness falling along Hong Kong’s waterfront against a backdrop of glimmering skyscrapers, carnival music competed with the whine of ventilation blowers as visitors bounced on the inflatable Stonehenge. The puffy white megalithic replica was part of an installation put up this month for SummerFest, a public outdoor festival that continues for several weeks. The exhibit, “Inflatable Wonders,” has attracted crowds. Some people have also been asking why more local artists aren’t being used for projects like this one. White is a color associated with death in East Asia, and the shapes of the Stonehenge have drawn comparisons to tombstones.

Persons: Joann, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, ”, aren’t Locations: Hong, Easter, East Asia, Hong Kong

☆ Nguyen Phu Trong, Powerful Vietnamese Leader, Is Dead at 80
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nguyen Phu Trong, the hard-line general secretary of Vietnam’s Communist Party who presided over his country’s economic and geopolitical transformation, and reshaped its leadership with his “blazing furnace” anticorruption campaign, died on Friday at a hospital in Hanoi. His death was announced by the official Nhan Dan newspaper, which said that Mr. Trong had died of “old age” and an unspecified serious illness. Speculation had swirled in January about Mr. Trong’s health after he skipped meetings with several foreign leaders. For 12 years, Mr. Trong sat at the apex of power in Vietnam’s Communist hierarchy. He consolidated power in one of the world’s few remaining Communist dictatorships, significantly weakening the collective form of leadership that previously characterized the country’s Communist Party.

Persons: Phu Trong, Trong, Lam Organizations: Communist Party, Nhan Dan, Mr, Communist Locations: Hanoi

☆ Vietnam Communist Party chief hands power to president as he undergoes medical care
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Vietnam’s President To Lam has taken over the duties of Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong who is focusing on an unspecified treatment for his health, the party said on Thursday. The party’s powerful Politburo has tasked him with presiding over “the work of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat,” according to a statement from the party’s central office. Though Vietnam officially has no paramount ruler, the party chief holds the most powerful position in the Communist-ruled nation. Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the Communist Party of Vietnam Headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam on September 10, 2023. In a surprise move, the Politburo awarded Trong on Thursday with the Gold Star medal, the country’s highest honor for public officials.

Persons: Reuters —, Lam, Nguyen Phu Trong, Trong, Evelyn Hockstein, “, Lam’s, ” Organizations: Reuters, Communist Party, Party Central Committee, Vietnam's Communist Party General, Communist Party of, Marxist, Gold Locations: Vietnam, Communist, Communist Party of Vietnam, Hanoi , Vietnam, China, Hanoi, Western

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