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☆ Biden calls US ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with Russia and China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —President Joe Biden on Wednesday called close US ally Japan “xenophobic” at a Washington, D.C., fundraiser, just weeks after lauding the US-Japan alliance at a state dinner. The president made the remark while arguing that Japan, along with Russia and China, would perform better economically if the countries embraced immigration more. Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said, according to reporters traveling with the president at a fundraiser with Asian American and Pacific Islander supporters. Immigrants are what makes us strong.”Biden had similarly cast Japan, Russia and China as “xenophobic” during an interview with a Spanish language radio station in March. The latest critique of Japan comes less than a month after he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit.

Persons: Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, ”, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Jessie Yeung Organizations: CNN, D.C, American, Pacific, Immigrants, Japanese, White House Locations: Japan, Washington, Russia, China

☆ US says Russia used choking agents against Ukrainian troops, breaching chemical weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” it said. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. The US has previously warned Russia against chemical warfare in Ukraine; in March 2022, a month after the invasion began, President Joe Biden said that NATO would respond if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. Russia has signed those treaties and claims it doesn’t have chemical weapons, but the country has already been linked to the use of nerve agents against critics in recent years.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Chloropicrin, Joe Biden, Mallory Stewart, Sergei Skripal, Alexey Navalny –, Vladimir Putin, Navalny Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Ukrainian, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian Embassy, CDC, State Department, United, United Arab Emirates, US, NATO Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Netherlands, China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab, Moscow, Ukrainian, Siberia

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah offensive, Gaza during Eid al-Fitr
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

A boy stands by the rubble of a collapsed building in Rafah, Gaza, on April 9. AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden offered one of his sharpest rebukes of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza, describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the conflict as a “mistake” and calling for a halt to the fighting. “Well, I will tell you, I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Univision in an interview. Biden's comments add to mounting US criticism of Israel's war in Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, ” Biden, Biden Organizations: AFP, Getty, Univision, CNN Locations: Rafah, Gaza

☆ Aespa’s Karina: K-pop star ends relationship weeks after it sparked a fan backlash
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After apologizing last month for a new relationship that angered some particularly animated fans, K-pop star Karina is once again single – highlighting the long-standing challenges of dating in the fervid fanspace of Korean entertainment. Karina, of the girl group Aespa, and actor Lee Jae-wook have broken up after going public five weeks ago, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing statements from the pair’s respective representatives. Lee’s agency, C-JeS Studios, said he had ended the relationship to focus on work, “leaving them as colleagues who support each other,” Yonhap reported. In the past, K-pop stars who went public with their relationships have faced heavy public backlash, sometimes impacting their professional careers and contracts. There have been some signs of change in recent years, with attitudes slowly shifting among both fans and agencies.

Persons: Karina, Lee Jae, Yonhap, “, ” Yonhap, ”, Lee, wasn’t, Jisoo, Ahn Bo, hyun, “ I’m, commenter Organizations: CNN, South, JeS, Chosun Ilbo Locations: South Korean

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Al-Shifa raid, Gaza ceasefire talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Ilan Rosenberg/ReutersAn Israeli drone strike on tents outside the Al-Aqsa medical complex killed at least two people on Sunday, according to a hospital spokesperson. Thousands of displaced people are sheltering on the hospital grounds in central Gaza, along with several journalist teams working from tents in the area. Al-Aqsa is the only remaining functional medical facility in the central city of Deir al-Balah. In the north, a raid on Al-Shifa Hospital — Gaza's largest medical facility — has lasted 14 days, as of Sunday. The health ministry in Gaza says Israel is not allowing patients and medical staff to evacuate, trapping them without basic resources.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ilan Rosenberg, Aqsa, Israel Organizations: Israeli, Reuters, Shifa Locations: Jerusalem, Israeli, Al, Gaza, Deir, —, Israel

CNN —Israeli military forces have withdrawn from Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after a 14-day siege that witnesses and Gazan authorities say left the medical facility largely destroyed. “There are bodies buried in the hospital yards.”Images from the area showed widespread destruction with charred and pockmarked buildings inside the complex. More than 30 wounded people were transported from Al-Shifa to the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital east of Gaza City, Bassal said. Last week, residents of the area around Al-Shifa told CNN there was heavy firing in the vicinity. Second raidThis raid was the second of its kind at the hospital, with the IDF first raiding Al-Shifa in November.

Persons: ”, Mahmoud Bassal, “, Shifa, Bassal, ” Hamada Abdelhadi, Khader, Wafa, Za’anoun, –, Jake Sullivan, Tedros Adhanom Organizations: CNN, Civil Defense, Al, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Health, IDF, Hamas, Getty, National, World Health Organization, WHO, Integrated Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, –, AFP, Israel’s, United States, “, UN

☆ 1 in every 13 bridges in America is in ‘poor’ condition. Thousands could collapse from a collision
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A container ship colliding into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is drawing attention to potential vulnerabilities among some of America’s more than 600,000 bridges. The Key Bridge stood for 47 years, and in that time it never received the sort of jolt that anyone could have thought would bring it down. Extreme weather events, increasingly heavy trucks and collisions from larger container ships pose significant risks to US bridges, engineers and other infrastructure experts say. The Key Bridge was “fracture critical,” the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. To minimize the potential of ships bringing down bridges, bridges need to be built with what are known as redundancies— protections around bridges’ danger points.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Dali, Ananth Prasad, Prasad, ”, Jessie Yeung, Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman Organizations: American Society of Civil Engineers, Congressional Research Service, National Transportation Safety, World Association, Transport Infrastructure, Florida Transportation Builders ’ Association, CNN Locations: Baltimore, America, United States, China, Argentina, Florida

☆ Paw patrol: China’s most popular new police officer is a corgi
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China’s most popular new police officer is making waves on social media with his stubby legs, wide grin and wagging tail. Fuzai is a reserve police dog and started training when he was two months old, according to state media. Weifang public security bureau/DouyinSome of these peers are featured on Fuzai’s official account on Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok - with the account run by Weifang police. Weifang public security bureau/DouyinAt the end of the line is Fuzai – strapped to the back of an officer, paws dangling, like a fuzzy backpack. The country’s police forces range from public security departments and neighborhood patrols to more heavy-handed state security and paramilitary forces as well as a highly secretive civilian spy agency.

Persons: CNN —, ”, pooch, Fuzai, –, Wang Yanan, emojis Organizations: CNN, corgi, Weibo, bloodhound, China Daily, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Shandong, China, …, Liaoning

☆ Art Basel Hong Kong: Collectors return to Asia’s biggest art fair despite cooling market
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Stephy Chung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —Picture Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and George W. Bush as 7-year-olds. Noemi Cassanelli/CNNAsia’s largest art fair, which concludes Saturday, has returned to “pre-pandemic scale,” as organizers put it. Hong Kong artist Mak2's installation in the fair's "Encounters" section. A colorful booth by Dvir Gallery, based in Paris, Tel Aviv and Brussels, which participated in the Hong Kong fair for the first time. So while Art Basel is a “very international platform,” Chan said, it still provides the chance to showcase homegrown talent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, George W, Bush, Lí, Noemi Cassanelli, Hong, Hong Kong’s, ”, William Leung, fairgoer, “, Ivy Haldeman, François Ghebaly, It’s, it’s, “ It’s, Victoria Miro, Wirth, Mark Bradford, Philip Guston, Ed Clark, ” Keith Tsuji, Willem de Kooning’s, Kooning, Fuyuhiko Takata, Yoko Ono’s, Takata, Fuyuhiko, Louise Delmotte, I’m, ” Takata, fairgoers, Jaume Plensa, Mary Sabbatino, Sabbatino, Mak2, Teppei, Maho Kubota, Alexie, Kantor, Trevor Yeung, Stephen Wong, people’s, Hilda Chan, London’s, ” Chan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Art Basel, CNN, “, Hauser, Hauser & Wirth, Galerie Lelong, The, Hong, Dvir, Hong Kong, CNN Hong, London’s Tate Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong Kong ., China, New York, Art Basel Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Asia, American, Spanish, York, Paris, Australian, Paris , Tel Aviv, Brussels, Hong

☆ Bridge accidents: Three ships have hit bridges in Argentina, China and Baltimore in just three months
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

These events all happened within the first three months of this year – and all after collisions with large commercial ships. And a month earlier, a large cargo ship collided with the Zárate–Brazo Largo Bridges crossing the Prana River in Argentina, according to now-shuttered government-run news agency Télam – severely damaging the ship, though the bridge remained intact. By contrast, in the Baltimore example, the water channel and bridge are wide and tall enough to accommodate large vessels – and the cargo ship hit the bridge pier, not the bridge itself, Andrawes said. But even these measures can only do so much in the event of a large cargo ship collision, Mercogliano said, pointing to the Baltimore collapse. “And even when the ship hit those dolphins, the ship was so large it towered over them and actually struck the bridge itself.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, DALI, ”, Sal Mercogliano, Télam, Bassem, Andrawes, it’s, Mercogliano, Baltimore Steve Helber, there’s, Jerome Hajjar Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Illinois, Sunshine Skyway, Coast Guard, Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers Locations: Hong Kong, Baltimore, China, Argentina, Patapsco, Guangzhou, –, Largo Bridges, Urbana, Champaign, Florida

☆ Who are ISIS-K, the group that claimed it carried out the Moscow terror attack?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It is a branch of ISIS, the terror group that emerged in Syria and Iraq and, at its peak, controlled a huge stretch of territory. By 2018, ISIS-K was ranked the world’s fourth-deadliest terror group, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, which monitors global terrorism. Video Ad Feedback What we know about ISIS group claiming responsibility for Moscow terror attack 04:16 - Source: CNNWhat do they want? Russian state media reported on March 7 that the FSB, Russia’s security service, prevented an ISIS attack on a synagogue in Moscow, according to Reuters. It is the most active terror group in the country, responsible for 73 deaths in 2023, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Persons: Kamala Harris, –, Joe Biden, Putin, ”, Daniel Byman, ” Byman, John Miller, Wakil Kohsar, Washington, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Islamic, ISIS, Sunday, US, Institute for Economics, The United Nations, Sharia, “, RIA Novosti, RIA, Reuters, Kabul University, CSIS, National Legal Training, US Central Command, National Intelligence, UN, Manchester Arena, State Department, Kyiv Locations: Moscow, Soviet, Tajikistan, Khorasan, Asia, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Africa, East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Kabul, Afghanistan’s Kunar, Nangarhar, United States, Britain, Europe, “ Russia, Georgetown, Caucasus, Pakistan –, Mastung, AFP, Germany, Paris, Ariana Grande, England, Orlando , Florida, Russian, Ukraine, Crocus

☆ The North Korean refugees sold to Chinese husbands
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

China considers North Korean refugees to be economic migrants, and forcibly deports them back to North Korea – where, as alleged defectors, they face imprisonment, possible torture or worse, activists say. During that period, she also met other North Korean refugees in the same situation – with their status public knowledge in the village, she said. According to the KFI report, the buying of a North Korean wife is “always known to the local community” but rarely reported to authorities. The other North Korean refugees she’d met in town had connections to brokers who could help them escape, while church organizations and non-profit groups discreetly helped raise funds for the journey. Brokers who remain have raised their prices due to increased risks and surveillance, while newcomers to the business are inexperienced, making it a risky gamble for North Korean refugees.

Persons: South Korea CNN — Chae, –, she’s, Yoonjung Seo, She’d, didn’t, “, ”, Chae, ” didn’t, Kim Jeong Ah, Kim, she’d, we’ll, ” Chae, Seo, Unification Ministry –, She’s, – she’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, CNN, North Korea –, Korea Future Initiative, KFI, US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Female North, United Nations, Liberty, Korean, Koreans, Unification Ministry, Brokers Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, China, Laos, Thailand, North Korean, Hebei, Beijing, London, Korea, Korean, North, ”, South, South Koreans

☆ Aespa’s Karina apologizes to K-pop fans after relationship reveal sparks backlash
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Are K-pop stars allowed to love? Under Karina’s apology post on Wednesday, the comment section was flooded with fans rallying in support. “No idols (K-pop stars) should apologize for dating in 2024,” one top comment read. And while there were messages of support there, too, there were plenty of disgruntled fans who weren’t satisfied with Karina’s apology. “Other fans pointed out that Karina’s apology hadn’t mentioned the status of her relationship – speculating that was simply confirmation they were still dating.

Persons: Karina, Lee Jae, wook, ”, “, Hyuna, Dawn, Jisoo, Ahn Bo, hyun, Aespa, hadn’t Organizations: South Korea CNN, Chosun Ilbo, Entertainment, Triple H, CNN, Twitter Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Asia, Instagram, Japan, Weibo

CNN —Seven men are now in custody in India for the alleged gang-rape of a tourist and assault on her husband, authorities said, in a case that has shone a new spotlight on the endemic problem of sexual violence against women in the country. On Saturday, police announced that three men had been arrested in connection with the incident and that they were seeking four more. India has struggled for years to tackle high rates of violence against women, with a number of high-profile rape cases involving foreign visitors drawing international attention to the issue. And in 2013, six men were sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of a Swiss tourist. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022, an average of 86 cases per day.

Persons: Anjaneyulu Dodde, Pitambar Singh Kherwar, Kherwar, Rekha Sharma, Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, ” Organizations: CNN, Police, India’s, Commission for Women, Crime Records Locations: India, West Bengal, Nepal, Dumka, Jharkhand, British, Goa, American, New Delhi, Swiss

New Delhi CNN —Police in eastern India have arrested three men for the alleged gang rape of a foreign tourist and assault of her husband, as they hunt for four more suspects in a case that highlights the country’s decades-long struggle to curb sexual violence against women. CNN is not naming the female victim, in accordance with Indian law that prevents the naming of victims of sexual violence. India has struggled for years to tackle high rates of violence against women, with a number of high-profile rape cases involving foreign visitors drawing international attention to the issue. And in 2013, six men were sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of a Swiss tourist. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022, an average of 86 cases per day.

Persons: Pitambar Singh Kherwar, Kherwar, Rekha Sharma, Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, ” Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN — Police, Police, CNN, India’s, Commission for Women, Crime Records Locations: New Delhi, India, West Bengal, Nepal, Dumka, Jharkhand, British, Goa, American, Swiss

CNN —Thousands of doctors in South Korea took to the streets of Seoul on Sunday to protest the government’s plans to increase medical school admissions and what they see as a broader lack of support for the country’s medical system. The doctors say the government needs to address a wider range of challenges facing the healthcare system than just the total number of doctors trained per year. Around 8,000 trainee doctors in South Korea began striking on February 21 by submitting their resignation. A doctor writes messages during a rally to protest against government plans to increase medical school admissions in Seoul on Sunday. Compounding the challenge, South Korea has the world’s lowest birth rate, which has been falling continuously since 2015.

Persons: Kim Hong, ’, Yoon Suk Yeol, ”, Jessie Yeung, Yoonjung Seo Organizations: CNN, South, Gallup Locations: South Korea, Seoul

☆ Japan’s population crisis was years in the making – and relief may be decades away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The demographic crisis has become one of Japan’s most pressing issues, with multiple governments failing to reverse the double blow of a falling fertility rate and swelling elderly population. But Japan’s crisis is unique in that it’s been decades in the making, experts say – meaning its impact is particularly evident now, with relief unlikely to come anytime soon. ‘Not reversible’The first thing to understand about Japan’s population crisis is that it’s only partly behavioral, said James Raymo, professor of sociology and demography at Princeton University. As of last year, Japan’s fertility rate sat at 1.3. The real problem is that the fertility rate has been consistently low for so long.

Persons: handwringing, It’s “, –, it’s, James Raymo, ” Raymo, ‘, aren’t, Raymo, Tomohiro Ohsumi, – “, Stanislav Kogiku, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, government’s Institute of Population, Social Security Research, Getty Locations: Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, United States, India, Yonomori, Fukushima, singlehood, Vietnam, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Toyko

☆ Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano spews ash and smoke, forcing flight cancelations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Mexico’s most dangerous active volcano spewed ash and smoke on Tuesday, with photos showing massive columns of gray emissions – large enough to ground nearby flights. The Popocatépetl volcano sits in central Mexico between the states of Morelos, Puebla and the State of Mexico. Ash fall was reported in Mexico City and its surrounding region, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the volcano, according to the National Civil Protection Coordination. Then last May, it spewed enough ash that the Mexico City airport canceled hundreds of flights. Authorities in several states suspended in-person classes and warned residents to prepare for evacuation – though volcanic activity eventually slowed.

Persons: CNN —, Ash, Benito Organizations: CNN, National Civil Protection, Center for Disaster Prevention, International, Authorities Locations: Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, State of Mexico, Mexico City

Sydney CNN —An Australian photographer has filed a police complaint against Taylor Swift’s father, Scott Swift, for allegedly punching him as the superstar left a concert afterparty in Sydney in the early hours of Tuesday. Photographer Ben McDonald, 51, told CNN he learned the singer was aboard a yacht in Sydney Harbor following her final show in the city on Monday night. He claimed when Swift got off the boat, a security guard forced an umbrella into his face and camera, before he was punched by the star’s 71-year-old father. In a statement to CNN, Swift’s spokesperson claimed threats had been made against a member of her staff. Swift performed in Sydney and Melbourne for the Australia leg of her global “Eras Tour,” continuing her string of concerts across the Asia-Pacific region; earlier in February, she performed in Tokyo, and is set to perform in Singapore in March.

Persons: Taylor Swift’s, Scott Swift, Ben McDonald, Swift, Swift’s, ”, Taylor Organizations: Sydney CNN —, CNN, New South Wales Police, Australia Locations: Australian, Sydney, Sydney Harbor, New, Melbourne, Asia, Pacific, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ China is one of world’s most expensive places to raise children, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, China was surpassed by India as the world’s most populous country. And while some women stop working entirely while raising their children, it makes returning to the workforce incredibly difficult. Women who have children may see a 12% to 17% drop in their wages, the report said, citing research from multiple papers. “Because the current social environment in China is not conducive to women’s childbirth, the time cost and opportunity cost for women to have children are too high,” the report said. The report warned that the falling birthrate could deeply impact economic growth, people’s overall happiness and China’s global standing.

Persons: “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Research Institute, Communist, Beijing Locations: Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Australia, France, United States, Japan, Communist China, India

☆ Two giant pandas are moving to a California zoo in a rare loan from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Taylor Romine | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China is sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – the first time it has granted new panda loans to the United States in two decades. His comments came shortly after the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC sent its three pandas back to China – marking the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after its loan agreement ended. According to Xinhua, discussions are ongoing for “a new round of cooperation” with the National Zoo and a zoo in Austria.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington , DC, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Xinhua, Washington, Smithsonian, National Zoo, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, United States, Washington ,, San, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Xinhua, Austria

☆ Starbucks releases pork flavored coffee in China for Lunar New Year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Who doesn’t like a little braised pork with their coffee? Starbucks (SBUX) is betting on that unusual combination with a new drink released in China to mark the Lunar New Year. The drink combines Dongpo Braised Pork Flavor Sauce with espresso and steamed milk, with extra pork sauce and pork breast meat for garnish, according to the Starbucks delivery app. And while the foods served at New Year feasts vary by region, braised pork makes a frequent appearance. The Starbucks pork latte has quickly gained traction on Chinese social media, with the topic viewed more than 476,000 times on Weibo by the time of publishing.

Persons: Savory Latte, Su Dongpo, it’s, “, ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Shanghai Starbucks Reserve, Starbucks Reserve, United, Starbucks, Luckin, Shanghai, Weibo Locations: China, Hong Kong, Weibo, Asia, People, United States, Wuhan

☆ South Korea jails former hero pastor for sexually abusing North Korean teenage defectors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A South Korean pastor once hailed as a hero for helping North Korean defectors escape to safety has been jailed for sexually abusing minors. Refugees fleeing North Korea often make the perilous journey across the border into China, before attempting to reach South Korea. China, a close ally of Pyongyang, doesn’t consider North Korean defectors refugees, instead seeing them as illegal economic migrants. Under a border agreement with North Korea, it forcibly deports them. Once returned to North Korea, defectors face possible torture, sexual violence, hard labor, imprisonment in political or re-education camps, or even execution by the state, according to activists.

Persons: Chun Ki, Chun, ”, “, Durihana Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, Seoul Central, Court, ” CNN, Children, doesn’t, Underground Railroad, Korea Future Initiative, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean, North Korea, China, Pyongyang, China’s, London, Durihana

☆ Putin gifts car to Kim Jong Un in sign of ‘special personal relations,’ North Korean state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian-made car for Kim’s personal use was delivered Sunday by a Russian delegation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS the car was an Aurus, the luxury automaker founded in 2018 to produce Russia’s official state cars. In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Putin — his first in more than 20 years. The North Korean leader is often seen being chauffeured in what’s believed to be a Mercedes-Maybach Pullman Guard armored limousine, worth upwards of $1 million. During Kim’s visit to Russia last September, Putin showed his Aurus limousine to the North Korean leader.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Dmitry Peskov, –, Kim Yo Jong, Putin, Putin —, Kim, “, ”, what’s, Royce, Donald Trump Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean, Korean Central News Agency, TASS, Pyongyang, CNN, Putin, North, Maybach Pullman Guard, Maybach S600 Guard, Washington -, Advanced Defense Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Russian, North Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Netherlands, Washington, Singapore

☆ South Korean researchers develop beef-infused rice as sustainable meat alternative
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Imagine eating a delicious, nourishing bowl of beef rice. No, not beef on rice – beef rice. That’s what a team of South Korean researchers are hoping to plate up with their newly developed hybrid rice, grown in a lab with cow muscle and fat cells inside the rice grains. The meat cells then grow on the surface of the rice grain and inside the grain itself. Lean beef currently costs about $14.88 per kilogram, and rice costs $2.2 per kilogram – whereas the beef rice, if commercialized, could cost just $2.23.

Persons: Sohyeon Park, “ Rice, Park, ”, ” Neil Ward, “ Organizations: CNN, South, University of East Locations: University of East Anglia

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