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☆ Meet the typical South Korean millennial: educated, overqualified for the job market, and part of the 'kangaroo tribe' that can't afford to leave their parents' homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | Reena Koh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kwon, 28, swam for his varsity team at Yonsei University, one of South Korea's top colleges. But like most young and unmarried South Koreans, he lives with his parents, and despite earning more than the national average, he won't even consider buying his own home for the next 10 years. Kwon and Hong belong to Generation MZ, a collective term for South Korea's millennials and Gen Zers, who often get grouped together for their digital fluency and outlook on life. Generation MZ — anyone born between 1980 and 2005 — accounts for almost a third of the country's population of around 52 million people. Insider spoke with five South Koreans of Generation MZ, as well as finance and generational experts, to gain a better understanding of the generation.

Persons: Kwon Joonyeop, Kwon, Kwon Joon, yeop Kwon, Hong Seo, yoon, She's, Hong, she's, Korea's millennials, Gen Zers Organizations: Yonsei University, South Koreans, Seoul National University, Korean Broadcasting System, Korea's Locations: Korea's, Gangnam, glitzy, Seoul, Korea, Seoul —

☆ Singapore's love affair with air conditioning shows a Catch 22 of climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Thankfully, Chee said, his home has five air conditioners – one in each bedroom and a larger unit in the living room. “I drank plenty of water, took cold showers and kept the air conditioning on for the entire weekend. Indeed, in this city, air conditioning has become almost a way of life. But Singapore’s love affair with air conditioning has an enormous cost. Here are some possible solutions 02:39 - Source: CNNBreaking the loopStill, experts say there are ways to break the air conditioning doom-loop.

Persons: Chee Kuan Chew, ” Chee, “, Mo Kio, Chee, Lee Kuan Yew, Edgar Su, Suhaimi Abdullah, Matthias Roth, Roth, Radhika Khosla, ” Khosla, Heng Chye Kiang, Smart, Heng Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Economic, International Energy Agency, Urban, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National University of Singapore, United Nations, Montreal Protocol, Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise, Environment, Bloomberg, Getty, Singapore’s National Environment Agency, NEA, ”, National University of Singapore’s School of Design Locations: Singapore, New York City, Japan, United States, ”, Kigali, Montreal, Orchard

☆ Molecular fossils open window on 'lost world' of primordial life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers discovered that the molecular fossils indicating the presence of these primitive eukaryotes were commonplace in rocks spanning from about 1.6 billion years ago to 800 million years ago. "It is a lost world in the sense that we had not been able to see or detect them - although there was an entire world of them. It is a lost world also because these forms are now entirely extinct, Brocks added. The oldest of the rocks bearing these fossils were unearthed in the remote Outback of northern Australia, near Darwin. Scientists long were puzzled about the seeming absence of molecular fossils from this time span indicative of primitive eukaryotes.

Persons: Jochen Brocks, geobiologist Jochen Brocks, Benjamin Nettersheim, Brocks, sapiens, Konrad Block, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Australian National University, Handout, REUTERS, University of Bremen, Thomson Locations: Creek, Northern Australia, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Canberra, Germany, Australia, Darwin

Bad air can be dangerous, especially if you’re breathing it over a lifetime. In East Asia, years of chronic air pollution is one reason that wearing face masks was common well before the coronavirus pandemic. School children there are used to playing inside on bad air days. In South Korea, would-be presidents have made reducing air pollution part of their campaign platforms. In other cases, urban air has improved because of something that no one saw coming.

Persons: it’s, Paiboon, Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, ”, Lee Hyung, “ It’s Organizations: New York State, World Health Organization, National University of Singapore, World Bank, Mexico City Locations: Midwest, United States, Cities, Asia, Africa, America, New, Bangkok, South Asia, East Asia, Seoul, South Korea, China, Beijing, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Mexico, New Delhi

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told Asia's top security summit on Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an "unbearable disaster" but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation. "It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. will be an unbearable disaster for the world." China's military criticised the United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after their warships staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive strait. Canadian defence minister Anita Anand said that Canada would continue to sail where international law allows, including the Strait, and that "actors in this region must engage responsibly”. In his speech, Li said China would not allow such freedom-of-navigation patrols by the United States and its allies to be "a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation."

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Joe Biden's, Anita Anand, Richard Marles, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Cui Tiankai, Chong Ja Ian, ”, Chen Lin, Greg Torode, Xinghui, Ben Blanchard, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Chinese Defence, U.S, National Defence, People's Liberation Army, U.S . Navy, Pacific Command, Defense, Reuters, National University of Singapore, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, Singapore, China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South, Chinese, Taiwan Straits, Canada, Britain ., Russia, Xinghui Kok, Taipei

Singapore CNN —A war over Taiwan would be “devastating” and affect the global economy “in ways we cannot imagine,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has warned, as he underlined US support for the island democracy. “The whole world has a stake in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. And the right time to talk is now,” Austin said. “But we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion.”Austin reaffirmed US readiness in the region. Defense Minister Li addresses the Shangri-La forum on Sunday morning.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Austin, China’s, Xi Jinping, “, People’s Republic of China “, Li Shangfu, ”, ” Drew Thompson, Lee, Li, ” Thompson Organizations: Singapore CNN, US, Communist Party, Taiwan, Chinese Defense, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, Defense Locations: Singapore, Taiwan, China, Taiwan Strait, Austin, People’s Republic of China, Beijing

☆ AI startup MindsDB aims to help every developer be a machine learning engineer. Here's the pitch deck it used to raise $25 million from investors like Mayfield Fund and Benchmark.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI startup MindsDB just raised a $25 million seed extension round led by Mayfield. The round comes less than three months after it raised a $16.5 million round led by Benchmark. The founders of MindsDB aims to help software developers worldwide perform the roles of machine-learning engineers. Founded in 2017, MindsDB is now gaining the interest of investors as AI has become the talk of the town in tech. In February, the startup announced $16.5 million in funding led by Benchmark.

Persons: Mayfield, MindsDB, Navin Chaddha, Chaddha, MindDB's cofounders Jorge Torres, Adam Carrigan, Torres, Chetan Puttagunta Organizations: Benchmark, Mayfield Fund, Ventures, Australian National University Locations: San Francisco, Europe

SINGAPORE, June 1 (Reuters) - Tensions between the United States and China are expected to loom over Asia's top security meeting this week, as China has declined a bilateral meeting between the superpowers' defence chiefs. The Shangri-La Dialogue, which attracts top defence officials, senior military officers, diplomats, weapons makers and security analysts from around the globe, will take place June 2-4 in Singapore. More than 600 delegates from 49 countries will attend the meeting, which opens with a keynote address by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. China's new Defence Minister Li Shangfu, however, has declined to meet U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon said on Monday. Other key issues that are likely to be discussed include ongoing tensions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Seas.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Li Shangfu, Lloyd Austin, General Li, Li, Xi Jinping, Zhang Youxia, Drew Thompson, Lee, Thompson, Chong Ja Ian, Lynn Kuok, Kuok, Xinghui Kok, Greg Torode, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Australian, Defence, U.S, Pentagon, Central Military Commission, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, NUS, International Institute for Strategic Studies, East China Seas, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, China, Singapore, Beijing, U.S, Ukraine, Taiwan, North, Korean, Russia, East, Britain, Australia, Japan, India

☆ Giant isopod: A 14-legged crustacean is Taipei’s hottest new menu item
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people queuing up—both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles. “It is so attractive because of its appearance - it looks very cute,” said the 37-year-old owner of the restaurant, who wanted to be identified only as Mr. Hu, as he held up a giant isopod while customers took pictures. A customer said the meat tastes like a cross between crab and lobster with a dense texture and some chewiness. Giant isopods - a distant cousin of crabs and prawns - are the largest among the thousands of species in the crustacean group, the NOAA Ocean Exploration said on its website. Diners sample -- and photograph -- the isopod ramen.

☆ CEOs see ChatGPT as an 'Ozempic' miracle drug that can cut costs and boost efficiency. Right now, they're wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ozempic and ChatGPT have blown up in the year of the cure-all. As Justine Moore, investment partner at Silicon Valley VC firm a16z, tweeted this month: "By 2025, America is going to run on Ozempic and ChatGPT." CEOs running businesses that have nothing to do with AI are talking about ChatGPT during their quarterly earnings calls. But like Ozempic, AI comes with side effects. Samsung banned its employees from using generative AI tools after finding some of its engineers accidentally leaked internal source code by uploading it to ChatGPT in April.

☆ China's youth unemployment hits a record high, deepening its economic scars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article GSBDGS Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTChina's young face the prospect of dimmer economic gains amid record youth unemployment in the world's second-largest economy. "The expansion of college education in the late 1990s created this huge influx of college graduates, but there is a misalignment between demand and supply of high skilled workers. "Increasingly, college graduates are taking up positions that are not commensurate with their training and credentials to avoid unemployment," Lu told CNBC. China's young face the prospect of dimmer economic gains amid record youth unemployment in the world's second-largest economy. "But the plan was for China's economy to transform from labor-intensive industry to more technological, with a strong service-oriented, knowledge economy," Yeung added.

[1/5] Digell Huang, 34, one of the two reserved customers tries the giant isopod ramen in Taipei, Taiwan May 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, May 28 (Reuters) - A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people queuing up - both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles. "It is so attractive because of its appearance - it looks very cute," said the 37-year-old owner of the restaurant, who wanted to be identified only as Mr. Hu, as he held up a giant isopod while customers took pictures. "As for the cooking method, we use the simplest way, steam, so there is no difficulty to process it." The restaurant steams the isopod for 10 minutes before adding it to the top of a bowl of ramen with thick chicken and fish broth.

About 90% of all credit card spending is on rewards cards. More from Personal Finance:5 ways to start paying down credit card debtDoes America's credit habit make a recession inevitable? What to do as credit card rates keep climbingIn 2019, in return for all the spending on these types of credit cards, the largest U.S. banks paid out nearly $35 billion in rewards. In that same year, banks reported more than $140 billion in revenue from all credit cards. More than half of that revenue comes from rewards credit cards, according to Agarwal.

☆ Under Xi Jinping, China's military has become an untouchable nationalist symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Yue’s alleged transgression: “uglifying” and “insulting” China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Under Xi, China passed a law in 2018 to ban the slander of national “heroes and martyrs,” a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. To outsiders, it may appear puzzling that China’s military, the largest and one of the most powerful in the world, would be so easily offended by a seemingly tame joke. Xi has staked his legitimacy on returning China to its former greatness, and a strong and powerful military plays a key role in driving that nationalist agenda. He has also ramped up China’s military posturing, sending fighter jets and warships to the Taiwan Strait and around the disputed islands with Japan.

☆ China's security crackdown could signal new realities for foreign investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Last Monday, state broadcaster CCTV singled out a consulting company for not complying with China's national security laws. "It may seem a paradox," said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore who studies Chinese foreign policy. So much of what is now regarded as national security or state secrets is not sufficiently defined or classified. This includes passing a data security law in 2021 on the protection of information involving national and economic security and on issues of important public interest. "To have multiple companies involved now in this crackdown and the restriction of financial data to foreigners, it appears that Chinese security departments are on to something larger."

☆ Scientists updated the human genome to make it more inclusive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists have pieced together a new draft of the human genome that better captures humanity’s genetic diversity. The scientists involved say it will improve our ability to diagnose disease, discover new drugs and understand the genetic variants that lead to ill health or a particular physical trait. The pangenome, a digital amalgamation of sequences that can be used to compare, construct and study other human genome sequences, is still a draft. The first draft of the human genome was released in 2001 and was only fully completed in 2022. The new pangenome reference is an amalgamation of different genomes from 47 people with ancestry from around the world.

☆ Mental illness may mean higher heart attack, stroke risk for people under 40
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Those people younger than 40 with a mental disorder were 58% more likely to have a heart attack and 42% more likely to have a stroke than those with no disorder, the study found. That could point to a greater need for managing psychological conditions and monitoring heart health in those at risk, Park added. It is important to note that the findings do not show that mental illness causes heart attacks or stroke, she added. Choi recommends that people with mental health conditions receive regular checkups as well. “Many individuals with mental illness suffer from social isolation and loneliness, and for years researchers have been sounding the alarm that loneliness is detrimental for physical health,” Ehrlich said.

☆ It's riskier than ever to be a foreign business in China, as evidenced by a series of recent sanctions, detentions, and an updated anti-espionage law that has watchdogs on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The updated law doesn't clearly define what constitutes China's national security or interests. The new law follows a recent spate of sanctions, probes, and detentions into foreign firms in China. Even now, the terms relating to national security and interest are still "not explicitly defined," the Eurasia Group wrote. The updated law is also particularly concerning because of the recent developments surrounding foreign firms in China. China's recent crackdown on foreign businesses is spurring concernsIn April, Chinese police questioned staff at American consultancy Bain in Shanghai.

Last year the former leader of Yoon’s party hit out at what he said was the “evil influence” YouTube channels. “After President Yoon Suk Yeol came to power, there have been many cases where the presidential office filed complaints to the media,” Jung said. It has since consistently ranked top in terms of real-time daily viewership on YouTube in South Korea. To Professor Jung, it’s a success that demonstrates “voices cannot be silenced.”Kim, meanwhile, hopes to build a show with as much recognition as any on traditional media. “I will create a type of press that has not yet existed on YouTube,” Kim said.

☆ Nightmare in Sudan: African expats struggle to find way out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands piled into buses and trucks for the 800 km (500 miles) journey by road from Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea to board ships. He had to wait four more days for transport to Port Sudan, an overnight trip. After a week, word reached them that there would be transport leaving from their embassy for Port Sudan. RSF fighters stopped the family along the way but let them pass when he said he was looking for food for his son. From Port Sudan, they travelled via cargo ship to Saudi Arabia.

HONG KONG, May 4 (Reuters) - China's biggest financial data provider Wind Information Co told some customers late last year that it was restricting offshore users from accessing certain business and economic data as a result of the cybersecurity regulator's new data rules, two sources said. Restricted access to Wind by offshore users comes as China sharpens its focus on data usage and security amid rising geopolitical tensions and concerns about privacy in the world's second-largest economy. A Wind salesperson told the source in September the company had made the changes as per instructions from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which asked it to stop providing offshore users with certain data. The restrictions on offshore users' access to certain Wind data have expanded since last September, said the first source. Reuters has reported, citing sources that Chinese data providers including company databases Qichacha, partially owned by Wind, and TianYanCha have stopped opening to offshore users for at least months.

☆ Opinion: The chilling logic behind Russia’s deportation of children
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Opinion Kristina Hook | Oleksandra Gaidai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Writing in 1914, historian Marian Dubiecki recounted Moscow’s deportation of Polish children following the 18th century Kościuszko Uprising. More recently, testimonies of rescued Ukrainian children recount extensive ideological coercion, often violent, while in Russian custody. Kristina Hook and Oleksandra GaidaiRussian perpetrators now demonstrate radicalization dynamics well-known to genocide scholars, and their dehumanizing ire has turned toward Ukrainian children. One state TV pundit openly speculated about drowning or burning Ukrainian children. Children are falsely told that their families have abandoned them and that they are “children of Russia” forever.

☆ As US and Philippine defense ties grow closer, China drives wedge over Taiwan issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But the election of his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, last year has returned relations to a more even keel, in part because Manila has become wary of a more assertive China. Last year the US granted $100 million to boost the Southeast Asian country’s defense capabilities and military modernization. Heydarian added that China has to rethink its strategy towards the Philippines, as the Marcos Jr administration is openly more aligned with the US. China remains one of the top trade partners of the Philippines, while Marcos Jr also continues to negotiate energy and agriculture investments from Beijing. Some worry Marcos Jr might be giving too much access to the US, especially when it comes to bases and facilities close to Taiwan, Heydarian said.

☆ Why is the US sending a nuclear submarine to South Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —When the presidents of the United States and South Korea this week announced a landmark deal to deter North Korean aggression, one element of the pact stood out. Here’s what you need to know about the submarine and why it’s heading to South Korea. The Nuclear Threat Initiative at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that each Trident missile can carry four nuclear warheads, meaning each US ballistic missile submarine could be carrying about 80 nuclear warheads. One arriving in South Korea on a port visit – which must be arranged 24 to 48 hours in advance – would be far more visible, giving North Korea an advantage, Schuster said. Kim’s threats have prompted some in South Korea to call for Seoul to become a nuclear-armed power itself.

The revision is likely to heighten concerns of foreign individuals, such as academic researchers or journalists, and businesses about visiting or operating in China. “Something like a local government budget you could broadly define as relating to national security, or even food security,” he said. “Researchers definitely need to be careful.”China says its laws related to national security and espionage are meant to safeguard the country. “Even with this amendment we still don’t understand what kind of document constitutes a national security issue,” he added. Chinese authorities did not offer details about both cases, including the reason for the crackdown, but analysts say the move is likely to further spook foreign businesses operating in China.

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