Constance Wu says controversial ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ tweets were in response to sexual harassment frustrations
- During a recent appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” actor Constance Wu addressed her controversial 2019 tweets about the renewal of her show “Fresh Off the Boat.”
- According to Wu, her tweets about the show’s renewal became an outlet for her frustration after years of experiencing sexual harrassment at the hands of a senior producer.
- “The thing I learned is that bad feelings and abuse don’t just go away because you will it to. It’s going to come out somewhere. People didn’t understand the context of those tweets.”
- In a separate interview with USA Today, Wu shared that she now feels “equipped with the tools to talk about it and open up conversations” after having “gone through a ton of therapy.”
- Wu’s debut book, "Making a Scene," is set to release on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Constance Wu has shed more light on her controversial 2019 tweets regarding the renewal of her show “Fresh Off the Boat.”
At the time, Wu’s profanity-laced tweets shocked fans and co-stars, with many interpreting her frustration as ungrateful.
Chinese LGBTQ-plus couples are getting married virtually through weddings hosted in Utah
- LGBTQ-plus couples in China and Hong Kong are now getting married via virtual weddings hosted in Utah County, Utah.
- Since the state does not impose citizenship requirements for marriage licenses, Utah County was able to conduct virtual weddings for international couples online.
- Soon after it began offering the service during the pandemic, the county became a virtual destination for same-sex couples who can’t legally wed in their respective countries.
- Newlyweds Xu Yanzhou and Zhu Xiaoming, who learned about the process from a close friend, got married via Zoom for around $100.
Chinese LGBTQ-plus couples are using digital technology to circumvent China’s non-recognition of same-sex marriages.
Since 2021, around 200 Chinese and Hong Kong couples have tied the knot via virtual weddings hosted in the state of Utah, and in particular, Utah County.
Police under investigation after soccer match stampede kills at least 125 in Indonesia
- A stampede during a soccer match at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia on Saturday evening left at least 125 people dead and 320 people injured.
- Police officers at the scene are among those currently being investigated for their use of tear gas in an attempt to subdue Arema FC fans.
- Thousands of fans reportedly rushed to the pitch after their club suffered a 3-2 home loss to rival soccer team Persebaya Surabaya.
- Panicked spectators made a dash to the exit, causing several people to get trampled on or suffocated in the process, according to reports.
- International soccer governing body FIFA prohibits the use of "crowd control gas" at matches.
- Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo shared that the local police chief has since been transferred, nine other police officials were stripped of their positions and 28 other officers remain under investigation.
Indonesian authorities have placed members of the local police under investigation over their perceived role in a recent stampede that left at least 125 people dead and 320 people injured last week.
The police officers are facing scrutiny for using tear gas on fans who started a riot at Kanjuruhan Stadium on Saturday evening.
Madame Wu, legendary restaurateur who served Hollywood stars, dies at 106
- Chinese American restaurateur Sylvia Wu, owner of the renowned Madame Wu’s Garden in Santa Monica, California, died on Sept. 19 at the age of 106.
- During its heyday, Madame Wu’s Garden attracted the biggest Hollywood celebrities with its eye-catching decor and kept them coming for its authentic Chinese cuisine.
- Among the restaurant’s most notable patrons included Mae West, who loved the cold melon soup, Gregory Peck and Paul Newman, who both preferred the shrimp toast and crab puffs, as well as Princess Grace of Monaco, who favored the Peking roast duck.
- “Everybody in this town knows Madame Wu,” the late TV presenter Merv Griffin was quoted as saying. “One of the dearest, sweetest, most elegant women I’ve ever known.”
- Wu, whose husband King Yan Wu died in 2011, is survived by her sons George and Patrick as well as numerous grandchildren.
Hollywood’s beloved restaurateur Sylvia Wu has died at the age of 106.
Wu, who spent four decades delighting celebrity diners at her Southern California restaurant Madame Wu’s Garden, died on Sept. 19.
Supreme Court rules Korean ‘comfort women’ in WWII US camptown sex trade entitled to reparations
- South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that Korean “comfort women” who worked in brothels for U.S. troops in the 1940s are entitled to reparations between 3 million Korean won and Korean won (approximately $2,092-$4,881) each.
- The verdict also confirmed the existence of the brothels, called “comfort stations,” which operated in U.S. military camptowns.
- “I had been frustrated that the Supreme Court hadn’t made any ruling in the several years since we filed the lawsuit, but now that it has finally returned a verdict today in favor of us grandmothers, I can’t help but cry,” she said. “With each year the lawsuit went on, more of our sisters passed. I think they, too, are happy in heaven.”
- A statement from the advocates and other participants of the press conference sought an official apology for the government, a new law that helps spread awareness about the issue of the “comfort women” and support for the victims.
South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that the “comfort women” for U.S. troops in the 1940s are entitled to receive reparations from the government.
The Sept. 29 decision confirmed an earlier ruling that each of the women who worked in the brothels set up for U.S.soldiers should be compensated between 3 million won and 7 million won (approximately $2,092-$4,881).
58-year-old Filipino domestic worker becomes entrepreneur after employer pays for her business classes
- Filipino domestic worker Jocelyn Mompal, 58, revealed that her employer of 22 years, surnamed Wang, paid for her business classes and inspired her to become an entrepreneur.
- Wang, 75, convinced Mompal to sign up for entrepreneurship, time and money management courses in 2008.
- Mompal started working as a household help for Wang in 2000 and has since come to be considered part of the family.
- Mompal still has two years left until her eligibility to work as a domestic worker comes to an end, as the maximum age for domestic workers that Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower allows is 60 years old.
- According to Wang, her maid is now equipped to have a sustainable source of income when she reaches her 70s.
- Mompal owns and manages a travel agency and shoe store in Iloilo City, Philippines.
A Filipino domestic worker in Singapore has become a successful entrepreneur who runs multiple businesses after her employer of 22 years paid for her business classes.
Jocelyn Mompal, 58, recently shared with Shin Min Daily News that her long-time employer, surnamed Wang, was instrumental in her drive to improve herself.
Lunar New Year is now a state holiday in California
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2596 on Friday, officially making Lunar New Year a state holiday.
- The new state law, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), authorizes any state employee to receive eight hours of holiday credit rather than personal holiday credit and utilize eight hours of vacation, annual leave or compensating time off to observe the Lunar New Year.
- The Lunar New Year, which usually takes place at the end of January or beginning of February, is predominantly celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian communities.
- “Recognizing this day as a state holiday acknowledges the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to California and provides an opportunity for all Californians to participate in the significance of the Lunar New Year,” Newsom said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill officially recognizing Lunar New Year as a state holiday.
Assembly Bill (AB) 2596, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), was among the number of bills Newsom passed before the Friday midnight deadline.
New York City reverses on controversial high school admissions process
- New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks announced that the city is rolling back a pandemic-era moratorium that allowed more low-income students to enter some of the city’s most elite schools via “random lottery.”
- The move, which Banks said was based on feedback from families, will regrant selective schools the option to reserve admissions for top-performing students.
- “It’s critically important that if you’re working hard and making good grades, you should not be thrown into a lottery with just everybody,” Banks was quoted as saying.
- He clarified that since the city is not imposing a blanket rule, it will be left to the district superintendents to work with school communities to implement admissions processes they deem best for them.
Top high schools in New York City are expected to tighten their admissions criteria with the return of grade-based admissions.
On Thursday, City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks announced that the city is rolling back a controversial pandemic-era moratorium that allowed more low-income students to enter some of the city’s most elite schools.
Trump’s self-described ‘love letters’ to Kim Jong-un seized from Mar-a-lago have been published
- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and former U.S. President Donald Trump were essentially penpals between April 2018 and August 2019, exchanging letters that Trump often described as “love letters.”
- On Sunday, The Korus Journal, by nonprofit Korean-American Club, published 27 personal letters exchanged between Kim and Trump.
- Kim sent two letters in September 2018, in which he indicated his desire to personally discuss with Trump a potential denuclearization of North Korea.
- “The most important cause of what your side considers the headache of ‘missile threats’ and nuclear problem is the military actions of your side and the South Korean military that threatens our safety,” Kim wrote. “And until these elements are eliminated, no changed outcome can be anticipated.”
- The two leaders exchanged letters actively for about a year, halting only after their second summit in Hanoi failed to make progress.
- “As of now, it is very difficult for me and my people to understand the decision and behavior of you and South Korean authorities,” read Kim’s letter, dated Aug. 5, 2019.
Letters exchanged between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and former U.S. President Donald Trump between April 2018 and August 2019 have recently been published.
Korean-American Club, a nonprofit composed of South Korean journalists from different news agencies, published 27 personal letters exchanged between Kim and Trump in the latest issue of its magazine, The Korus Journal.
Advocates laud India’s Supreme Court decision to uphold a single woman’s right to late term abortion
- Advocates have hailed India’s Supreme Court Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s decision to uphold a woman’s right to an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy regardless of marital status.
- Chandrachud’s ruling effectively granted the petition of a 25-year-old single woman who sought abortion after her relationship failed.
- Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court denied the woman’s right to terminate her more than 20-week-old pregnancy, arguing that the law for such late-term abortions did not cover unmarried women.
- India’s 1971 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act had limited access of the prodecure to married women, divorcees, widows, minors, "disabled and mentally ill women" and survivors of sexual assault or rape.
- The Supreme Court, however, noted that the “decision to have or not to have an abortion is borne out of complicated life circumstances, which only the woman can choose on her own terms without external interference or influence.”
- PARI (People Against Rapes in India) founder Yogita Bhayana called the ruling a “a first step, it is a progressive step."
Advocates are hailing India’s Supreme Court’s decision upholding a woman’s right to an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy regardless of marital status as a “milestone.”
Supreme Court Justice D.Y. Chandrachud handed down the decision on Thursday that an unmarried women cannot be denied their right to a late-term abortion.
Video: BTS’ SUGA meets NBA star Stephen Curry in Japan
- BTS member SUGA visited the Golden State Warriors’ star point guard Stephen Curry in Japan, where the team is set to play two NBA preseason games against the Washington Wizards.
- The Warriors’ official Twitter page posted a video on Thursday of the two global stars with the caption: “Stephen, meet SUGA!”
- The two also posed for a photo in which they held signed items from each other.
- SUGA, a known basketball fan, had earlier posted a photo of himself with an NBA jersey in the Warriors’ signature blue and golden yellow colors.
- Yuta of the J-pop boy band NCT also welcomed the entire team via a video uploaded on the Warriors’ YouTube channel.
BTS member SUGA and Golden State Warriors star player Stephen Curry met in person for the first time in Japan.
The two global celebrities posed together in a video uploaded by the Warriors’ official Twitter page on Thursday with the caption: “Stephen, meet SUGA!”
Long-lost Korean twins who reunited after 36 years team up on ‘Amazing Race’ to ‘spend time together’
- Molly Sinert and Emily Bushnell, long-lost twins who reunited decades after being separated at birth, are racing around the world against other teams in the 34th season of “The Amazing Race.”
- The sisters, who were separated as infants after being adopted by different families 37 years ago, joined the show not just for a chance to win a million dollars, but to spend time together.
- Their participation in the globe-trotting show provides a unique opportunity for them to make up for their years apart.
- Among the Asian contestants in this season include “Big Brother” star Derek Xiao, who will compete with his fiancée Claire Rehfuss; motivational speaker Richard Kuo, who will compete with his fiancée Dom Jones; and engaged couple Aastha Lal and Nina Duong.
Long-lost twins who were reunited decades after being separated at birth are among the 12 pairs competing in the 34th season of “The Amazing Race.”
Molly Sinert and Emily Bushnell, who met for the first time on their 36th birthday last year, are racing around the world against 11 other teams in the adventure reality TV show for a chance to win a million dollars.
