London CNN — The UK government this week introduced proposed legislation that it couldn’t say for certain complies with international law, its latest attempt to put a stop to migrant boats crossing the English Channel from France. The UK has seen a dramatic increase of people arriving in small, non-seaworthy boats, having paid criminal gangs […]
Hong Kong CNN — Police in central Japan have arrested three people for taking part in pranks at a sushi conveyor belt restaurant. The acts, which appear to be becoming more commonplace, have been dubbed online as “#sushitero” or “#sushiterrorism” and have affected the financial fortunes of the country’s famous rotating kaiten-style restaurants. Various perpetrators […]
Hong Kong/Seoul CNN — Kakao, one of South Korea’s top internet giants, has doubled down on its quest to take control of SM Entertainment, the iconic K-pop music agency. The tech firm announced Tuesday that it would seek to buy up to 35% of the music label, just days after a previous share sale between […]
New York CNN — The Chinese government could use TikTok to control data on millions of people and harness the short-form video app to shape public opinion should China invade Taiwan, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday. Wray responded affirmatively to questions from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the panel’s […]
Hong Kong CNN — China’s outgoing Premier Li Keqiang has announced the country’s lowest GDP growth target in decades, highlighting the domestic and global challenges the world’s second largest economy still faces despite its decision late last year to ditch draconian anti-Covid measures. Li set a target of about 5% growth for 2023 during the […]
Hong Kong CNN — A Chinese city says it has destroyed a billion pieces of personal data collected during the pandemic, as local governments gradually dismantle their coronavirus surveillance and tracking systems after abandoning the country’s controversial zero-Covid policy. Wuxi, a manufacturing hub on China’s eastern coast and home to 7.5 million people, held a […]
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the country’s rise and how it impacts the world. Sign up here. Hong Kong CNN — The US Department of Energy’s assessment that Covid-19 most likely emerged due to a laboratory […]
Atlanta/Hong Kong CNN — The United States on Thursday added two subsidiaries of Chinese genetics company BGI to a trade blacklist over allegations it conducted genetic analysis and surveillance activities for Beijing, which Washington says was used to repress ethnic minorities in China. The US Department of Commerce, which oversees export controls, said in a […]
Hong Kong CNN — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko – a close ally of Vladimir Putin – vowed to deepen defense and security ties and expressed shared views on the war in Ukraine during a Wednesday meeting in Beijing, as geopolitical tensions around Russia’s war continue to rise. Lukashenko endorsed China’s […]
New Delhi CNN — Foreign ministers from the world’s biggest economies have convened in New Delhi, setting the stage for a grand test in Indian diplomacy as it attempts to navigate tensions over Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. In the second high-level ministerial meeting under India’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency this year, […]