News
‘I’ve honestly never felt more free’: new video shares how Black Americans feel living in Japan
“Living while Black in Japan” is a short documentary made by filmmaking couple Keith Bedford and Shiho Fukada about what it’s like for Black Americans living in Japan.
About the film: The documentary, uploaded to NPR’s YouTube channel, features three women and three men from the Black American community in Japan who shared their views on sensitive topics such as police and racism in the U.S.
Filipina vlogger Jinky Cubillan captures neighbor’s angry tirade about her loose dog
A Filipina vlogger based in California captured footage of a confrontation she had with a neighbor who shouted profanities at her in front of her house last week.
Karen goes viral: Jinky Cubillan, a popular social media personality known as “Madam Kilay,” shared a video of the verbal altercation on her Facebook account and YouTube channel. The videos have since racked up a total of over 6.5 million views at the time of this writing.
North Korean teens reportedly put on trial for viewing K-drama ‘Crash Landing on You’
Almost two years since its release and subsequent rise to global popularity, the K-drama “Crash Landing on You” continues to leave an impact on its fans. In North Korea, where the drama’s storyline is based, several teens caught watching the series are allegedly facing prison time among other harsher sentences. The incident, while unconfirmed, has heightened awareness of the country’s human rights atrocities after being shared in a viral video.
Seoul-based publication The Daily NK, which specializes in North Korean news that relies on a network of sources from inside the hermit kingdom, reported in late August that eight teens were put on public trial for watching and imitating the characters of various South Korean dramas including the popular “Crash Landing on You.”
Elderly Asian man allegedly punched in face and his dog almost lit on fire in SF attack
A 66-year-old laundromat owner was reportedly assaulted by a suspect who also attempted to set fire to the elderly man’s 8-year-old golden retriever in San Francisco last week.
The details: Police responded to the incident at the laundromat in Nob Hill at 10:30 p.m. last Wednesday and spoke with the elderly Asian man.
‘China’s richest woman’ missing for years suddenly reemerges in ‘threatening’ phone calls to family
A real estate mogul dubbed “China’s richest woman” before her sudden disappearance in 2017 has recently reached out to her ex-husband.
Ascent to wealth: Weihong Duan, who also goes by her English nickname “Whitney,” became a billionaire through Taihong, the real estate development firm she founded in 1996. She ran the company until she mysteriously vanished on Sept. 5, 2017.
Boston’s first woman-of-color mayor in 200 years could be Asian American
Two women of color have taken the most votes in the mayoral primary election, meaning on Nov. 2 Boston will have for the first time in its history a woman and a person of color occupying the mayor’s office.
Runoff election results: Tuesday’s primary election saw city councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George taking the top and second-highest votes with Wu leading George by over 11,700 votes, reported WBZ.
Chinese real estate company — whose ex-chairman is worth an estimated $11.2 billion — is accused of swindling investors
The second-largest real estate developer in China, China Evergrande Group, is facing a massive liquidity crisis that has sparked anger among investors and homebuyers.
Evergrande’s financial troubles: The company’s years of borrowing have resulted in a colossal debt, amounting to over more than $300 billion, and a struggle to pay overdue bills and multiple wealth management products, reported the Washington Post.
Trailblazing Chinese American WWII hero and Philly police commander dies at 93
Anthony Wong, a trailblazing retired Philadelphia Police Department commander, died last week at 93 years old.
The details: Wong, a World War II and Korean War hero who was the son of Chinese immigrants, passed peacefully surrounded by family on Sept. 8, according to his obituary on Stretch Funeral Home.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in to bring BTS along with him on trip to America
K-pop mega group BTS will accompany South Korean President Moon Jae-in as special presidential envoys at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week.
Awarding ceremony: The seven-man group was awarded the certificates on Tuesday appointing them as “Special Presidential Envoys for Future Generations and Culture” in a ceremony at the Blue House, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
26 Asian celebrities, activists, political leaders among TIME’s ‘100 most influential people of 2021’
TIME magazine has published its 100 most influential people of 2021 on Wednesday and the full list includes Naomi Osaka, Shohei Ohtani and Cathy Park Hong, among other Asian luminaries from around the globe.
The 18th annual list of influential people features activists, celebrities, political leaders and athletes, with the youngest among them being Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee.
Grieving pink dolphin filmed cradling her dead calf in China
A rare mother dolphin was filmed cradling and pushing her lifeless baby along while she swam in the waters in China.
Mourning mother: On Sept. 3, a Chinese white dolphin, also known as an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, was swimming with her deceased calf and a few others beside her near Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province, according to CGTN.
‘You are going to die’: former nurse pleads guilty to threats against VP Kamala Harris
A former nurse in Florida is facing a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to harassing Vice President Kamala Harris with threatening videos.
Admission of guilt: On Friday, 39-year-old Niviane Petit Phelps confessed in Miami federal court to six counts of making threats against Harris, reported Miami Herald.