JULY 11, 2022

Hello, everyone! Welcome to your weekend recap.

Over the weekend, authorities identified the man behind late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination and a church is involved.

Tetsuya Yamagami, the 41-year-old responsible for Abe’s death, is supposedly a member of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, although the church denies having any record of Yamagami in the first place.

The Unification Church, founded by Rev. Sun Myung Moon in 1954, is known for creating alliances with conservative and right-leaning political entities, as well as initiating mass weddings worldwide.

Race in America 
 

• California is spending over $30 million to combat the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. Here is the breakdown of the bill.

• In Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the first pan Asian mall is going to open soon. The mall will have all sorts of restaurants, stores and more. 

• In Los Angeles, California, Hanchic (Korean-based) and Holy Basil (Thai-based) are two of the leading restaurants aiming to change the local food scene. The innovative and experienced staff are hosting pop-ups and creating menu items that combine new flavors with old recipes. 
  
   

In Other Asian News
 

• A new documentary featuring iconic tennis player Vijay Amritraj is heading our way. As someone who has always used his platform to uplift others (a call-back to his protests against South African apartheid), Amritraj is hoping that this film will also be a way to inspire others by documenting his career and journey.

• One of India’s last royal cooks (a khansama) of Rampur created an elaborate Eid meal for Aljazeera writer Tarana Husain Khan. This photograph-filled and historical account of the preparation techniques and final presentation, are sure to satisfy the stomach and eyes.

• Due to rising COVID-19 cases, Macau is shutting down its casinos and businesses for a week and is putting its city on lockdown until it can pass China’s no-COVID policy. Similar to what other cities have experienced, no one can go in or out and residents are expected to test very frequently.
  
   

Entertainment
 

• Is Singapore on your travel bucketlist? After looking at this cheap eats Bib Gourmand list from the Michelin Guide, your stomach might be incentivized to stop by these stalls and booths. Their 2022 guide now includes nine more delectable destinations.

• How about ethnic food and local busineses in the U.S.? You’re in luck. This self-made chef set up her pop-up for Khmer food, called Sitha’s Khmerkitchen, every weekend in front of San Bruno’s Pho de Nguyen.
  
   

• An avid fan of livestreamers? Well, if Lilypichu is on your favorites’ list, you might want to switch over the YouTube indefinitely. Last week, the popular streamer struck an exclusive deal with YouTube and is no longer streaming on Twitch. 

• Ever wonder why Japanese bento boxes are so cute? This article explains the history, art and family relationships that bind those delicious designs together.

• Twitter is suing the Indian government back after the country’s initial lawsuit accused the company of infringing on Indian citizens’ constitutional rights. 

• As in-person work is returning, so is the workplace harassment. Gapjil, a Korean word for this specific workplace phenomenon encompasses verbal, sexual and physical abuse tolerated by workers and inflicted by employers. 

• Chinese officials continue to prepare for worsening rains that are flooding their cities. Torrential rains pour over these regions as people are evacuated from their destroyed homes and their lives are put on hold.