ALJAZEERA US watching Taiwan elections closely as China reiterates claim to island
Last month, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping strolled through the lush gardens of a grand California mansion engaged in a candid, intimate conversation.
It was their first face-to-face summit in a year and the Chinese president was blunt – Taiwan, Xi told his US counterpart, was the most important and dangerous issue in the two countries’ fractious relationship.
ALJAZEERA Police shooting of activist fuels ‘Cop City’ controversy / Feb 13, 2023
Atlanta, Georgia, US – For the past two years, Atlanta’s “Stop Cop City” has been a largely peaceful opposition movement, with activists building treehouses to occupy a plot of forest earmarked for a police training centre.
But last month, things took a violent turn when environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, was gunned down during a police raid. According to a private autopsy conducted by his family, the young man, known by the nickname “Tortuguita” because he loved turtles, was shot at least 13 times.
Business Insider Andrew Yang's Asian jokes may be popular at political debates, but they aren't going over well in the Asian-American community // Sep 20, 2019
When Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang yells one of his favorite lines, "the opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math!" the crowd roars.
In the most recent Democratic debate, Yang joked "Now I'm Asian, so I know a lot of doctors" and the audience rumbled with laughter.
Voice of America Hong Kong Calm After Protests Over Sending Suspects to China for Trial // June 13, 2019
HONG KONG, STATE DEPARTMENT - English to Asia Service reporter Anna Kook and VOA's Mandarin Service contributed to this report.
A semblance of normalcy returned to Hong Kong Thursday after clashes between police and protesters who oppose a controversial extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.
Protesters packed up the last few remaining boxes of supplies at Hong Kong’s Statue Square early Thursday as riot police stood by looking on.
Voice of America 30 Years After Tiananmen, Remembering a Pivotal Night // June 4, 2019
On June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party ordered tanks and soldiers to fire at its own people gathered at Tiananmen Square, which is located in the heart of Beijing. Three decades later, the shots fired still reverberate today.
The bravery of a lone man confronting a row of Chinese tanks became a symbol of the night of resistance between the people of China and the hard-liners of the Communist Party that ordered the army action. His identity remains unknown. But there were many others who joined him in resisting and who have spoken out.
Voice of America Presidential Candidate Yang's 'Freedom Dividend' Stirring Interest
Andrew Yang is not the typical U.S. presidential candidate. As a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Yang has never run for elected office before. And he began his unlikely campaign a year and a half ago with virtually no name recognition — but a talent for social media.
Medill National Security Zone U.S. proposes engagement in the Indo-Pacific in response to growing Chinese influence // Aug 15, 2018
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his Southeast Asia tour in August pledged to provide nearly $300 million in new security funding for the Indo-Pacific region in a meeting with ASEAN leaders.
The offer during the ASEAN meeting came days after Pompeo had announced a separate $113 million infrastructure fund for Asia-Pacific economies as a part of President Trump’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Medill National Security Zone ZTE resumes business in the US, raise national security concerns // July 30, 2018
Despite possible national security threats Chinese telecommunication companies pose to the United States, the government has begun to take solid steps into allowing China’s second largest telecommunications equipment maker, ZTE, to do business in the country.
One July 13th, the Commerce Department lifted a ban on U.S. companies selling goods to ZTE. U.S. lawmakers also removed an amendment from a defense bill on Monday that would have reinstated sanctions on the Chinese company.
USA TODAY North Korea defector: 'Pretty foolish to think' Kim Jong Un would get rid of nukes // May 26, 2018
Kang Chol-hwan, who fled North Korea at age 24 for South Korea, was imprisoned for ten years inside a political camp in Yodok county, 68 miles northeast of the capital Pyongyang.
He witnessed torture, public executions and performed heavy labor daily during his time in the camp.
Since his defection in 1992, Kang has dedicated his life to educate the world on the prison camps that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly denied exist and to promote human rights.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORTS Korean Peace Fails Some Koreans // May 17, 2018
Plans for peace talks between the leaders of North and South Korea fail to solve all conflicts there, some experts say, as they work toward a settlement that ignores one of the most critical problems plaguing the reunification of the Korean Peninsula: Kim's regime history of human rights abuses.
The Panmunjom Declaration, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed in April, makes no mention of the systematic use of starvation, torture and baseless incarceration that human rights groups like Freedom House and other critics frequently attribute to Pyongyang.
And while the agreement was designed only to pursue a formal end to the Korean War and denuclearize the peninsula, some of those familiar with the security situation there believe a lasting peace hinges on accounting for North Korea's domestic abuses.
UPI Winter Olympic athletes search for careers outside sports // May 4, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Most of the 244 athletes who competed in the Winter Olympics, even those winning medals, are unlikely to have careers related to sports. And because they have devoted so much time to training for the Games, they often struggle to establish themselves in different fields.
About 100 Team USA athletes who competed at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were honored by President Donald Trump at the White House last week. But first they attended a three-day Athletic Career and Education Summit in a Washington suburb to get help with launching careers after retirement from competitive sports.
MarketWatch Kourtney Kardashian comes to Capitol Hill to lobby for cosmetics bill // Apr 24, 2018
WASHINGTON – Kourtney Kardashian appeared on Capitol Hill for the first time Tuesday to talk makeup and personal care products to urge lawmakers to approve more regulation on the cosmetic and personal care products industry.
“When it comes to products I use on my kids, I don’t play around,” Kardashian said at the Russell Senate Office building on Tuesday. “Everyone should have the right to healthy products and personal care and that’s why I wanted to come and make this a bigger deal.”
With a following of 62.6 million on Instagram alone, Kardashian’s voice on the Hill is something the advocacy organization Environmental Work Group hopes will get action on a bill proposed by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
USA TODAY contributor: Student walkouts nationwide mark Columbine, push for new gun laws // APR 20, 2018
Students in Florida, Colorado and Washington, D.C., joined more than 2,700 planned walkouts coast-to-coast Friday marking the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in an effort to push for stronger national gun control.
A Connecticut teen started the plans for the National School Walkout just hours after the Feb. 14 school massacre in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead.
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Athletes demand change by Olympic leaders to stop sexual abuse // April 19, 2018
WASHINGTON, April 19 (UPI) -- Olympic athletes told lawmakers Congress needs to hold governing sports bodies accountable for ignoring sexual abuse -- as the problem goes beyond USA Gymnastics and the conviction of former doctor Larry Nassar.
While Nassar's case revealed a system that neglected cases of abuse, athletes of winter sports said they also have been victimized by coaches and similar systemic flaws within their sport's governing body.
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL Experts: Failure at North Korea summit could lead to armed conflict // April 12, 2018
WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- Two former American diplomats who played a key role in the Six Party Talks with North Korea warned Thursday that President Donald Trump should make no compromise on sanctions during his upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un.
Christopher Hill, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq under President Barack Obama, and Victor Cha, an adviser on North Korean affairs to President George W. Bush, said any misstep at the summit could endanger stability in Asia.
PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL The social media generation casts a wary eye on Facebook founder's testimony // April 11, 2018
Millennials are the social media generation, but tech-savvy young adults weren't finding much to "like" about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's public testimony this week about his company's data-sharing practices.
Some millennials, the age demographic with the highest rate of social media use, said they feel betrayed.
USA TODAY Korean unified women's hockey team: Beating Japan would 'gift happiness to our people' // Feb. 13, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — The novelty and optimism of watching North and South Korean women wear the same hockey uniform made the results of the team’s first two games, a pair of 8-0 losses to Switzerland and Sweden, seem irrelevant. Korean fans at the Kwandong Hockey Center waved their flags relentlessly and cheered every time their players merely got their sticks on the puck.
But the stakes and expectations for the next game elevate considerably, and a defeat will not be as easily accepted or overlooked by fans or players.
CHANNEL NEWS ASIA Speed Skating: Singapore's Cheyenne Goh set sights on Beijing 2022 after historic debut // 17 Feb, 2018
PYEONGCHANG: Singapore’s first Winter Olympian Cheyenne Goh failed to qualify for the semi-final race in the short-track 1,500m event on Saturday (Feb 17), but she is already setting her sights on making a stronger comeback for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“I think I’m definitely motivated to work hard for the next four years and hopefully I’ll be able to qualify again for the next Olympics,” said Goh.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE U.S. pairs team learned of school shooting before free skate: 'We wanted to skate for the 17 that died' // Feb 15, 2018
Alexa Scimeca Knierim and husband Chris Knierim took to the ice in their last pairs free skating event Thursday at the Winter Olympics with a heavy heart.
“I’m emotionally drained. … I saw the shootings playing on the TV in the warmup room,” said Addison native Scimeca Knierim as she broke down in tears in an interview after her performance. “I am disappointed with the way we performed today, but so many people at home are hurting because their children have died.”
DAILY HERALD Glenview speedskater Gehring's Olympic journey challenging and inspiring // Feb 15, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- When Glenview native and short-track speedskater Lana Gehring earned a bronze medal from the 3,000-meter relay at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, she couldn't wait to add to her collection in Sochi in 2014. Ranked third in the world, she was inspired to get a tattoo on the side of her head with a large crown over her initials.
A deep rift in the American speedskating world, however, distracted her from qualifying for the 2014 Winter Games.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE Oak Park Olympian Emery Lehman praises Shani Davis: 'He represents Team USA the best' // Feb 13, 2018
The idea that you should feel bad about yourself if you place second to last in a competition is not so valid when it’s the Olympics.
After his 5,000 meter race on Sunday, Oak Park speedskater Emery Lehman posted a photo on his Instagram with the caption: “Bad news: 21st out of 22nd skaters today. Good news: 21st in the World today.”
Two-time Olympian and 21-year-old Emery Lehman is beaming with positivity and trying his best to enjoy his time in Pyeongchang before he competes for the team pursuit on Feb. 21, when he stands a better chance at winning a medal.
DAILY HERALD Hansen, U.S. teammates struggle in 1,500-meter speedskating // Feb 13, 2018
GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- Brian Hansen stood at the start line and realized he ate too much.
"This is just going to sound like a big excuse but I felt like I had Thanksgiving out there," Hansen said. "It took me awhile to take my skates off because I was going to throw up for a good 30 minutes."
After the overbearing pre-race dinner, which included huge portions of rice, Hansen placed 15th Tuesday in the 1,500-meter final with a time of 1 minute 46.44 seconds.
DAILY HERALD Oak Park's Lehman struggles to repeat speedskating success // Feb 12, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea - After finishing 16th at Sochi four years ago, Oak Park native Emery Lehman's 21st place finish in men's 5000 meter speedskating at the Winter Olympics on Sunday night was both disappointing and surprising.
A total of 22 athletes competed in the 5000 meter race, and Emery was the only skater to represent the U.S. Speedskating team. He finished with a time of 6 minutes 31.16 seconds, lagging over a second behind Andrea Giovannini from Italy and more than 21 seconds behind the winner.
CHANNEL NEWS ASIA 'I love racing to the line': Singapore's Cheyenne Goh all set for Pyeongchang competition // Feb 11, 2018
PYEONGCHANG: Singaporean speed skater Cheyenne Goh had her first training session on the Olympic ice rink in Pyeongchang on Sunday (Feb 11), a week before she makes her Winter Olympics debut when she competes in the short-track 1,500m race on Feb 17.
For the 18-year-old, competing on the world stage was not something she had imagined when she first picked up speed skating eight years ago.
“I was definitely not even expecting to qualify for the Olympics this year,” she said. “I only began to take the sport seriously when I joined Singapore’s national team two years ago," said Goh.
KOREA TIMES N. Korea human rights need global attention // May 24, 2017
As tensions escalate on the Korean Peninsula and headlines trumpet North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, the dire everyday lives of North Koreans and human rights issues there often are overlooked.
"Because pictures of the true average conditions in North Korea are not accessible, the international community shares a responsibility," South Korea's Ambassador for Human Rights in North Korea Lee Jung-hoon said recently. But the responsibility is to nevertheless learn the humanitarian truth about North Korea based on the knowledge of experts and refugees, he said.
CNN The spy who loved me? Chinese warned off dating foreigners // April 21, 2016
(CNN)China's government workers are being warned off dating handsome foreigners -- because they may be potential James Bonds.
A 16-panel comic book-style poster that's been widely displayed across Beijing tells the story of an attractive young female civil servant -- Xiao Li or Little Li -- who is wooed by a red-haired foreigner posing as a visiting scholar.
CORNELL DAILY SUN Korean Cornellians Demand Resignation of South Korean President // November 12, 2016
Approximately 40 Korean students gathered outside Sheldon Court and marched to Ho Plaza Friday night to peacefully call for the resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-hye. The protest was organized to mirror a movement in Seoul Friday night, where approximately a million citizens took to the streets to protest Park.
About three weeks ago, news emerged that Park has allegedly been taking advice from her lifelong friend, Choi Soon-sil. Choi has been accused of leading a cult and was arrested for using her relationship with Park to coerce companies to donate up to $70 million to Choi’s foundations. These organizations were later discovered to have embezzled funds for personal gain, according to The Washington Post.