I met Jun Jun during the two and a half weeks I spent in Beijing and its vicinities volunteering at homes for Chinese orphans. I wasn’t sure what to expect before I arrived. With access to the homes typically limited, most foreign perceptions of the country’s orphanages are informed by pieces such as “The Dying Rooms,” a 1995 British hidden-camera documentary that gave rise to a scathing expose of neglect of Chinese orphans....
Quizzed about the leaders’ summit with China’s Xi Jinping, Biden told reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday that he made it very clear the U.S. supports the “Taiwan Act”—an apparent reference to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). “It’s independent. It makes its own decisions,” the president said of the self-ruled island. An hour later, before boarding Air Force One at Manchester Airport, he added: “We’re not going to change our policy at all....
China’s complaints had flown largely below the radar; it didn’t air any grievances in public until after it had filed a December 3 note verbale with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, in which Beijing said its space station had to perform evasive maneuvers on July 1 and October 21 to avoid Starlink satellites and ensure the safety of its astronauts. A day after Newsweek reported China’s semi-formal notification to UN General-Secretary António Guterres, a State Department spokesperson said the U....
The suspended death sentence—which The Wall Street Journal reported is usually commuted to life in prison—was handed to fentanyl producer and smuggler Liu Yong. Eight others received jail terms ranging from six months to life for their role in the enterprise. The case represented the first time that Chinese and American authorities cooperated to convict fentanyl traffickers. The rampant opioid epidemic in the U.S. is exacerbated by the drug, which can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin....
China was still observing a public holiday on Monday, and news presented by state broadcaster CCTV and official information service Xinhua has notably avoided reports concerning the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Guangdong province. The Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company (TNPJVC) released a statement late on Sunday to pre-emptively refute a CNN report claiming the facility had been “leaking fission gas.” The exclusive, published on Monday, said the power plant’s French partner, Framatome, had reached out to the United States government for assistance in resolving an “imminent radiological threat....
The Chinese Consulate General in New York issued a statement on social media site Weibo on Saturday calling on NBC to recognize the “seriousness” of its choice of map. NBC is a division of NBCUniversal, which is in turn owned by Comcast. During the opening ceremony of the Olympics, NBC displayed a map of China as the country’s athletes arrived for the games. However, that map did not contain Taiwan or the South China Sea....
Lithuania opened a Taiwanese representative office in its capital, Vilnius, under the name Taiwan in November. To appease China, most countries open offices under the name Taipei. Lithuania became the first European Union nation to let Taiwan use its own name in a representative office, the BBC reported. This upset the Chinese government, with Lithuanian and American officials reporting China has blocked imports from Lithuania ever since the Taiwan office opened....
Fu Cong, a director-general in China’s Foreign Ministry, called the stall in the investigation a “pity” but denied any fault for it happening. “China has always supported and will continue to participate in the science-based origin tracing efforts,” he said. China said officials should “concentrate on other possible avenues that may help trace the origin” of the virus, and suggested studies in other countries. Fu also accused the U.S. of “hyping the lab leak theory” and trying to shift the blame for the virus onto China....
Parental checkup systems like MealpayPlus and ParentOnline.net recently started popping up in schools nationwide; this fall, the parents of an estimated 1.5 million kids will be able to use them. Schools are signing up because they make lines move quickly–and, for some, they’re free. MealpayPlus doesn’t charge for its system; it makes money on transaction fees when parents put money on kids’ accounts. It’s worth it for parents who want a say in their children’s eating habits....
Bet on Chelsea vs Arsenal Terry signed for Aston Villa after leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract, having made 717 appearances at the club, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012. Cahill regularly wore the captain’s armband for the Blues last season, with Terry playing a bit-part role in his final campaign, but manager Antonio Conte is yet to announce a new skipper....
Still unbeaten after 12 games, City are eight points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester United, with reigning champions Chelsea a further point behind, and they are already being touted by many as favourites to win the title. Aguero 9/2 PL top scorer Cahill believes such talk is premature, though, and is confident the Blues have enough time to catch up with City should their performances dip over the course of the campaign....
His response included him taking home a race-winning trophy. About 10 months ago, Johnson led 143 laps at Dover only to be called for an illegal restart. He followed that with a win at Pocono the next week. Then just a few weeks later, a no-call on what he felt was an illegal restart by Matt Kenseth at Kentucky ruined a day when he led 182 laps. He followed that disappointment, too, with a win at Daytona....
According to the California Employment Development Department, the state has gained an average 110,600 new jobs per month since February. In August, 235,000 jobs were added by employers nationwide, meaning a large percentage were in California alone. “We still have more work to do in regaining those jobs lost to the pandemic, but this is promising progress for California’s economic recovery,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. Though California has set records for new jobs added, the state’s unemployment rate has remained high....
Saturday marked the 34th time a horse has won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Now Chrome's mission is to win the Belmont Stakes, which will be run in three weeks in New York. "This was a crazy race," jockey Victor Espinoza said. "I got more tired mentally than physically. I had to use my brains too much, but it worked out perfectly. The outside horse (Social Inclusion) moved too early....
In a 6-3 decision, a divided Supreme Court on Friday night sided with religious rights in ruling that California cannot continue its ban on indoor church services that was put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. The court, in response to two lawsuits filed by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church and the Harvest Rock Church, said the state can still limit attendance to 25 percent capacity, but concluded that Governor Gavin Newsom’s orders may have violated the Constitution’s protection on free exercise of religion....
Kevin George Aziz Riad, 27, is believed to be the first person in the United States charged with a felony for a driver using a self-driving autopilot mode in a vehicle resulting in a fatal crash, the Associated Press reported. On December 29, 2019, Riad was using the autopilot mode on a Tesla Model S while on the freeway. According to police, the car was traveling at a fast speed when it exited the freeway when the car ran a red light, striking a Honda Civic in the intersection....
Cal Fire warned Thursday: “Near hurricane level winds are impacting Southern CA [California] leading to an increase in wildfire activity. Although temperatures are decreasing this serves as [a] reminder that wildfire danger is not over,” in a post on Twitter. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Friday: “Critical fire weather threats continue in southern California and are likely to persist through the weekend.” Here are updates on some of the latest fires in California....
The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that California Gov. Gavin Newsom argues Republicans are looking to “take away health care access for those who need it,” according to his statement in the voter guide sent to residents ahead of the election. Health care in the state can be accessed through various types of coverage, from public programs for those on low incomes to individual/family health insurance plans and ones provided through an employer....
Last week, high temperatures baked California. Temperatures reached 110 degrees or higher in some areas. The heat served as a worst-case scenario for the state’s homeless population. In California, there is no legal right to shelter, meaning the state isn’t required to provide a safe place to sleep for anyone who needs it. Many homeless are seen living outside in California, a side effect of often amiable weather, but when the weather turns scorching, homeless people can be hit the hardest....
Q: What is the reward for beating Mercer? A: A new head coaching job in the Pacific-12 Conference. A year ago, beating Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Tournament championship game allowed Florida Gulf Coast to enter the NCAA Tournament and pull off upsets over Georgetown and San Diego State. And those three victories launched Andy Enfield into a multi-million position as head coach at Southern California. This time, Mercer’s Bears — following their stunning upset of Duke — were all that stood between Tennessee and the Sweet 16....
