Image of racist gesture at 2017 World Cup resurfaces; Korean fans celebrate ‘karmic’ victory
- With the fate of Korea’s World Cup run hanging in the balance during today’s group H matches, an image of Uruguayan soccer player Frederico Valverde making an offensive “slant eyes” gesture has gone viral once again.
- Uruguay and Korea were vying for the same spot to advance into the knockout round, which prompted fans to unearth a picture taken during the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
- While fans claimed that Valverde’s racially insensitive celebration depicted in the photo occurred in a match between Uruguay and South Korea, the photo was actually taken during a match between Uruguay and Portugal during the youth championship’s quarterfinals.
- At the time, Valverde claimed that the gesture was meant to pay tribute to a friend whose nickname is “El Chino,” which is Spanish for “the Chinese.”
- Netizens proclaimed karma was on Korea’s side during this year’s World Cup, as their win over Portugal propelled them into the knockout rounds, sending Uruguay home.
Uruguay’s 2-0 win over Ghana during group H matches wasn’t enough to advance, and it wasn’t enough to divert fans’ attention from an old image of Uruguayan soccer star Frederico Valverde making an offensive “slant eyes” gesture.
The image was taken during the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea, but it went viral once again following South Korea’s win over Portugal 2-1 on Friday.
K-pop Weekly: BTS’s RM releases solo, KARA makes 15th anniversary comeback, fourth gen wins big awards
BTS’ RM, JYP Entertainment’s ITZY and SM Entertainment’s Red Velvet all made comebacks this week, but there were a good handful of other noteworthy releases, namely KARA’s 15th anniversary return. This week also saw two big award shows, the Melon Music Awards and the MAMA Music Awards, give out prizes to varying artists, including BTS, IVE and TWICE’s Nayeon.
Music Releases Nov. 28, MondayOnlyOneOf member Mill is the latest in the group to release a single. “Beat” is the title track for his single album “undergrOund idOl #5.”
Viral TikTok of young woman dancing the night away is hurting our backs
- A 43-second clip, originally posted TikTok user @Dfggujkjjj, shows the woman getting down on the dance floor by thrusting her arms and hips back and forth into the air.
- She even twerks at one point, as other women in attendance notice and laugh.
- The video appears to have been taken down from @Dfggujkjjj’s page, but the captions written under other clips on their account appear to be in Thai.
- But some users believe the dance was recorded in Laos.
- The woman’s dance thrusts have since gone viral after user @sandraj2020 reposted the video on their page.
Saturday night’s alright for fighting, according to Sir Elton John, but one young woman in Asia is dancing like nobody is watching.
A 43-second clip, originally posted TikTok user @Dfggujkjjj, shows the woman getting down on the dance floor by thrusting her arms and hips back and forth into the air. She even twerks at one point, as other women in attendance notice and laugh.
Disney orders new princess musical inspired by Indian history
- The husband-and-wife team, who both previously worked on the 2002 film “Bend It Like Beckham,” were tapped by Disney to produce the original musical feature, according to Deadline.
- The film's plot remains under wraps, but both Chadha and Berges will serve as screenwriters.
- Chadha is set to direct the film.
- Both filmmakers reunited at London’s West End to stage a critically-acclaimed musical version of “Bend It Like Beckham” in 2015.
British filmmakers Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges are set to create a new Disney musical focused on a princess from Indian history.
The husband-and-wife team, who both previously worked on the 2002 film “Bend It Like Beckham,” were tapped by Disney to produce the original musical feature, according to Deadline.
Taiwanese man starts living in year 3000 with his payment app barcode tattoo
- A Taiwanese man has been using a new hands-free mode of payment after getting a payment app barcode permanently tattooed on his arm.
- An unnamed user on Taiwanese social media platform DCard posted images and clips of himself making purchases by scanning his barcode tattoo.
- He said he decided to get the tattoo to avoid the inconvenience of having to pull out his smartphone whenever he needs to pay for something.
- While he said he had encountered no issues with the tattoo so far, he does not suggest others do the same due to the risk of error in inking the lines of the barcode, which could render the tattoo useless.
A man in Taiwan got a barcode permanently tattooed on his arm to avoid the hassle of taking out his mobile phone to make purchases.
Without revealing his identity, the man shared images and clips of his fully functional barcode tattoo on Taiwanese social media platform DCard.
Japanese fans continue to clean stadium at World Cup 2022 after win over Spain
- Japan continues to show the whole world its reputation for cleanliness by tidying up before celebrating Samurai Blue’s victory against Spain on Thursday.
- The Japanese squad defeated the Spanish team 2-1 in a stunning upset at the FIFA World Cup 2022 match in Qatar, preventing Germany from advancing to the knockout rounds.
- Fans who came to support their national team remained at the Khalifa International Stadium to pick up garbage before attending the festivities.
- Japan will go up against Croatia in the next round on Monday.
Japan continues to show the whole world its penchant for cleanliness by tidying up before celebrating Samurai Blue’s victory against Spain on Thursday.
The Japanese squad defeated the Spanish team 2-1 in a stunning upset at the FIFA World Cup 2022 match in Qatar, preventing Germany from advancing to the knockout rounds.
Delano Manongs: California park named after Filipino American labor leaders
- A park in San Jose, California, was named “Delano Manongs” to honor Filipino labor leaders of the 1965 Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, which revolutionized labor rights in the U.S.
- Delano Manongs Park, which features a playground and picnic tables, is located at the corner of Gimelli Way and Beechnut Drive in East San Jose.
- The San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services held the dedication ceremony at the park along with Filipino community leaders and elected officials.
A park in San Jose, California, has been named after Filipino American labor leaders of the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott in 1965.
The park was named Delano Manongs to honor the farmworkers involved in the social justice and labor movement led by Larry Itliong, who revolutionized labor rights in the U.S. “Manong” is an Ilocano term meaning “elder brother.”
Asian Blaxpoitation heroine that was inspiration for ‘Kill Bill’ protagonist revived for TV series
- Southeast Asian action hero Cleopatra Wong, played by Singaporean actor Marrie Lee (aka Doris Young) in a series of films in the late 1970s, is being revived for an upcoming show.
- Created by Filipino filmmaker Bobby Suarez, the character served as the inspiration for Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies and was
- Independent studio The Ink Factory, which has obtained the rights to the charfblacter, is co-producing the new series with Singapore-based Beach House Pictures.
- Chinese American writer Tasha Huo (“Tomb Raider”) and Thai-British writer Chris Cornwell (“A Discovery of Witches”) will share writing duties for the new project.
Cleopatra Wong, the badass Singaporean Interpol agent from the Asian grindhouse scene of the ‘70s, is back.
The Southeast Asian action hero, who reportedly was the inspiration for Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix ” The Bride” Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies, is being revived for an upcoming TV show set in the 21st century, according to Variety.
Abraham Lim and other ‘KPOP’ cast members call out New York Times review of Broadway musical
- The cast of "KPOP," the first Broadway musical of its kind celebrating Korean culture, are hitting back against a review by New York Times chief theater critic Jesse Green.
- Green described the lighting done by scenic and lighting designer Jiyoun Chang as "squint-inducing."
- Abraham Lim, who made his Broadway debut in the role of Jae Ik, was the first cast member of "KPOP" to speak out about the language and tone used in the Times' review.
- Lim added that western publications such as the Times can do better by hiring more BIPOC and AAPI journalists.
- The actor wasn't the only cast member to speak up, however.
The cast of “KPOP,” the first Broadway musical of its kind celebrating Korean culture, are hitting back against a review by New York Times chief theater critic Jesse Green.
Green described the lighting done by scenic and lighting designer Jiyoun Chang as “squint-inducing.” “Squinty eyes,” or “slanted eyes,” are derogatory terms used to mock the eyes of Asian people.
Trio of women accused of running prostitution ring at Michigan massage parlor
- Three women in Warren, Michigan, have been charged for allegedly running a prostitution ring at a local massage parlor.
- Greenday Massage, which Warren police have dubbed a “prostitution house,” sits at the intersection of 9 Mile and Ryan roads.
- The suspects, Meiyu Xu, 61, Yingshu Zhu, 60, and Hyeyeon Bratek, 55, have each been charged with keeping a house of prostitution — a five-year felony — and using a computer to commit a crime, which is a four-year felony, according to WDIV Local 4.
- The scheme was busted after two undercover police officers made appointments with the parlor and were offered sexual acts for money, as per WXYZ.
Three women in Warren, Michigan, have been charged for allegedly running a prostitution ring at a local massage parlor.
Greenday Massage, which Warren police have dubbed a “prostitution house,” sits at the intersection of 9 Mile and Ryan roads.
Photos of Thai children as young as 9 smoking weed prompts demand for review of legalization
- Photos of Thai children smoking marijuana on a beach in Chon Buri province have prompted netizens to demand a review over cannabis legalization.
- The photos were posted by Kritiwat Matrong, 35, who came across the three children, aged 9 to 10, while on his way to watch a fireworks display in Pattaya.
- Matrong informed the authorities, citing the damage to the children’s health and to the country’s tourism industry image.
- Netizens voiced their concern for the children, with many condemning Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s decision to legalize cannabis.
In a widely shared Facebook post, two children were photographed smoking marijuana from bamboo pipes on a beach in Chon Buri province in eastern Thailand.
The photos were posted by Kritiwat Matrong, 35, who came across the three children, reportedly aged 9 to 10, while on his way to watch a fireworks display in Pattaya.
Man in China demands estranged wife refund portion of their lavish wedding expenses
- A Chinese man named Li Shouning is demanding his estranged wife, Qian Yulu, refund a portion of the amount he spent for their wedding.
- In a video that has gone viral on social media, Li is seen outside the home where Qian lives with her parents, demanding that she pays him back a total of 140,000 yuan (approximately $19,900).
- The couple, who met via a matchmaker last year and got engaged three days later, got married in late January via a lavish wedding that cost Hou 510,000 yuan (approximately $72,600).
- Li reportedly used up his savings and borrowed money from relatives to cover the cost, which included betrothal gifts, a car and cash for the bride price as demanded by Qian’s family.
A man has gone viral on Chinese social media after publicly demanding his wife refund him a portion of what he spent on their wedding.
The man, identified by local media as Li Shouning, held a demonstration by himself outside the home where his estranged wife, Qian Yulu, lives with her parents in the Chinese province of Henan.
Jeremy Lin fined by China over ‘inappropriate’ COVID remarks
- Taiwanese American basketball player Jeremy Lin was fined by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for making “inappropriate remarks” about quarantine facilities.
- Lin, who plays for the Guangzhou Loong Lions, was fined 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,424) for comments that “caused adverse effects on the league and the competition area,” according to the CBA
- While the CBA did not disclose any additional information, the former NBA star allegedly posted a video complaining about quarantine workout facilities.
- China is currently facing a wave of protests from citizens frustrated with its zero-COVID policy related restrictions.
- Before taking his talents overseas, Lin played on eight teams in the NBA across nine seasons, including the New York Knicks, where his high level of play spurred the “Linsanity” movement, which empowered an entire generation of Asian Americans.
Taiwanese American basketball player Jeremy Lin was fined by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) for making “inappropriate remarks” about quarantine facilities.
Lin, who plays for the Guangzhou Loong Lions, was fined 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,424) for comments that the CBA claimed “caused adverse effects on the league and the competition area.”
Malaysian crocodile kills 1-year-old boy, injures father attempting rescue
- A 1-year-old boy was snatched and eaten alive by a crocodile while fishing with his father in Sabah, Malaysia, on Thursday.
- In a video circulating online, the crocodile is seen emerging to the surface with the body of the boy in its jaws.
- The local fire department has joined forces with the Royal Malaysian Police and marine police to search for the boy's remains.
- Due to the threat, officials have warned villagers who live by the river to stay out of the water.
A 1-year-old boy was snatched and eaten alive by a crocodile while fishing with his father in Malaysia.
On Thursday morning, the boy was on a canoe with his 45-year-old father, identified as Moherat, off the coast of Lahad Datu in Sabah when the 11-foot crocodile grabbed him.
Japanese cannibal who became celebrity after killing, eating Dutch woman is dead
- Issei Sagawa, a Japanese cannibal who killed, raped and ate a woman’s flesh, died at the age of 73 on Nov. 24.
- Sagawa was attending the University of Sorbonne in Paris when he shot his Dutch classmate, Renée Hartevelt, in the neck, raped her and ate parts of her body over the course of three days in 1981.
- Sagawa never served a prison sentence as a mental evaluation in France ruled him legally insane and unfit to stand trial.
- He was deported to Japan, where he became a celebrity for his notoriety.
- He became a writer and wrote a memoir titled “Kiri No Naka (In the Fog)," detailing his cannibalistic murder of Hartevelt.
Issei Sagawa, the infamous Japanese cannibal who killed, raped and ate a woman’s flesh in 1981, died at the age of 73.
Sagawa, also known as the “Kobe Cannibal,” passed away of pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo on Nov. 24.
Flying cars to be tested in new Indonesian capital in 2024
- Indonesia’s future capital city, Nasuntara, is set to become the testing ground for Hyundai’s flying car project Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in 2024.
- Mohammed Ali Berawi, the deputy head of the Green and Digital Transformations Department at the National Capital Authority of Nusantara, announced the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hyundai in Jakarta on Wednesday.
- “We’re not building this city for 2024; we are looking ahead to 2045, so that’s when the [flying car] tech is for. Now, it’s hard to imagine flying cars, but maybe they’ll be around by 2035,” Mohammed said. “We can be one of the pioneers in the development of the tech.”
- In August 2019, President Joko Widodo announced the government's plan to move Indonesia's capital to a new city as problems in Jakarta continue to emerge, such as heavy traffic, pollution and the sinking of the capital into the Java Sea at an alarming rate.
Indonesia’s future capital city, Nasuntara, is set to become the testing ground for Hyundai’s flying car project starting in 2024.
Mohammed Ali Berawi, the deputy head of the Green and Digital Transformations Department at the National Capital Authority of Nusantara announced that the government had signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai to build a network in the country that would be used for the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project.
Theft ring believed to be targeting Buddhist temples in North Texas
- Police departments in North Texas are investigating a possible theft ring behind multiple burglaries targeting local Buddhist temples.
- Temples in Irving, Fort Worth and White Settlement all fell victim to burglaries in a span of just five days, beginning on Nov. 20.
- The suspects reportedly used diversion tactics, such as asking monks to pray while other members move to steal.
- White Settlement Police Chief Chris Cook said they are asking for the FBI’s help as similar incidents have also been reported in Arkansas, California and New Mexico.
Police departments in North Texas are investigating a possible theft ring responsible for a string of burglaries targeting local Buddhist temples.
One incident occurred at Wat Busayadhammvanaram in White Settlement on Nov. 20, FOX 4 reported. There, nine suspects who arrived in a stolen van distracted a monk before stealing $38,000 in cash.
Viral ‘bayanihan’ video shows Filipinos carrying old man’s house in heartwarming gesture
- A TikTok video has gone viral for showing “bayanihan” in San Roque in the Philippines’ Zamboanga del Norte province.
- The video, shared by Rhe Zelle Aranjuez (@labmobaako0) on Nov. 6, features two dozen people carrying a seven-foot-tall bahay kubo (nipa hut) and moving it to another location.
- Aranjuez was quoted by the Instagram page Good News Movement explaining that the relatives of the elderly man residing in the house wanted him to live near them.
- However, since the house was too heavy for them to carry, community members helped them relocate it.
- “Bayanihan" is an old Filipino custom that involves people helping their fellow community members without expecting anything in return.
- Aranjuez’s video has amassed over 1.1 million views and 163,000 likes since it was first shared on Nov. 6.
The spirit of “bayanihan” lives on in the modern-day Philippines, as seen in a viral TikTok video that shows community members helping an old man carry his house to bring him closer to his family.
The video, shared by Rhe Zelle Aranjuez (@labmobaako0) on TikTok, shows two dozen people working together to carry a 7-foot-tall bahay kubo (nipa hut) and move it to another location.
Canadian TikToker Megha Thakur dies ‘suddenly’ at age 21, her parents announce
- Canadian TikTok star Megha Thakur died “suddenly and unexpectedly” in the early morning of Nov. 24 at the age of 21.
- A private funeral was held for Thakur on Nov. 29.
- “Megha was a confident and independent young woman,” her parents announced on Instagram. “She will be dearly missed. She loved her fans and would have wanted you to know of her passing. At this time, we request your blessings for Megha. Your thoughts and prayers will be with her in her onward journey.”
- Although Thakur’s parents did not provide further details regarding the cause of death, local reports said the TikTok star was involved in a car collision in Ontario, according to Manchester Evening News.
- Thakur, who had more than 930,000 followers and over 31 million likes on TikTok, started posting on the platform in November 2019.
- Not only did she promote self-confidence and body positivity on her channel, but she was also a well-known advocate for South Asian representation.
Canadian TikTok star Megha Thakur has died at the age of 21.
The news was announced in an Instagram post by her parents on Monday. In the post, Thakur’s parents wrote that their daughter, who hailed from Brampton, Canada, died “suddenly and unexpectedly” in the early morning of Nov. 24.
Japanese man gets arrested for calling police over 2,000 times
- A Japanese man has been arrested for calling the police over 2,000 times in nine days to harass them.
- Japan’s Saitama Prefectural Police stated that the 67-year-old man called their headquarters 2,060 times between Sept. 30 and Oct. 8.
- The man told them that they are “tax thieves” and “big stupid assholes” who should be fired.
- Since the man verbally abused the police for more than 27 hours in total, he was suspected of interfering with police operations.
- On Nov. 28, he was arrested and reportedly said, “I knew the police would come for me someday.”
- A motive behind the calls has yet to be determined.
A Japanese man has been arrested for calling the police over 2,000 times in nine days to harass them.
Japan’s Saitama Prefectural Police stated that the 67-year-old man called their headquarters 2,060 times between Sept. 30 and Oct. 8., saying that they should be fired. The man also told the police that they are “tax thieves” and “big stupid assholes,” as per SoraNews24.
Latest Stories
- Image of racist gesture at 2017 World Cup resurfaces; Korean fans celebrate ‘karmic’ victory
- K-pop Weekly: BTS’s RM releases solo, KARA makes 15th anniversary comeback, fourth gen wins big awards
- Viral TikTok of young woman dancing the night away is hurting our backs
- Disney orders new princess musical inspired by Indian history
- Taiwanese man starts living in year 3000 with his payment app barcode tattoo
- Japanese fans continue to clean stadium at World Cup 2022 after win over Spain
- Delano Manongs: California park named after Filipino American labor leaders
- Asian Blaxpoitation heroine that was inspiration for ‘Kill Bill’ protagonist revived for TV series
- Abraham Lim and other ‘KPOP’ cast members call out New York Times review of Broadway musical
- Trio of women accused of running prostitution ring at Michigan massage parlor
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