CNN — Nearly a decade after Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, researchers have discovered that wildlife is thriving in the areas evacuated by humans, despite radiological contamination. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. More than 20,000 people died or went missing in the quake and tsunami, while hundreds of thousands more lost … Read more
CNN — Having endured a bloody civil war from 1983 until 2009, Sri Lanka is now at peace and developing rapidly. That’s good news for the country as a whole, but the island nation’s leopards are under threat. Sri Lankan conservationist Anjali Watson says that as forests where leopards live are cleared to plant crops … Read more
(CNN) — A local entrepreneur in the Japanese tourist destination of Nara has developed an alternative to plastic shopping bags, to protect the town’s sacred deer. Hidetoshi Matsukawa, who works for Nara-ism, a souvenir wholesale agent, told CNN he heard last year that the deer, which roam the city’s park, were dying after ingesting plastic … Read more
Shanghai residents passing through the city’s eastern Huangpu district in October might have stumbled upon an unusual sight: a “walking” building. An 85-year-old primary school has been lifted off the ground — in its entirety — and relocated using new technology dubbed the “walking machine.” In the city’s latest effort to preserve historic structures, engineers … Read more
Hong Kong CNN Business — The world has been inching toward fully autonomous cars for years. In China, one company just got even closer to making it a reality. On Thursday, AutoX, an Alibaba (BABA)-backed startup, announced it had rolled out fully driverless robotaxis on public roads in Shenzhen. The company said it had become … Read more
(CNN) — China has revealed a prototype for a new high-speed Maglev train that is capable of reaching speeds of 620 kilometers (385 miles) per hour. The train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power that makes it look as if the train is floating along the magnetized tracks. The sleek 21-meter-long (69 feet) prototype was … Read more
CNN — Some of the United Nations’ most senior female officials have been meeting Taliban leaders in Kabul to discuss the ban on female aid workers, as Afghanistan battles famine and poverty. In December the Taliban ordered all local and international non-governmental organizations to stop their female employees from coming to work or risk having … Read more
CNN — Singapore’s national carrier is hoping to become the world’s first airline to get all of its crew members vaccinated against Covid-19. Singapore Airlines (SIA) confirmed to CNN Travel that all of their crew members – including pilots, gate agents, flight attendants and anyone whose job requires contact with the public – have been … Read more
(CNN) — The island nation of Sri Lanka is now open to tourists from all countries. Sri Lanka Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga made the official announcement during a press conference on Thursday, confirming they would reopen the country’s borders from January 21. Both of the country’s international airports reopened on the same day. “The … Read more
Editor’s Note — Coronavirus cases remain high across the globe. Health officials caution that travel increases your chances of getting and spreading the virus. Staying home is the best way to stem transmission. Below is information on what to know if you still plan to travel, last updated on September 27. (CNN) — If you’re … Read more
(CNN) — International travelers have been flocking back to the popular resort island of Bali as the Covid pandemic subsides, prompting hopes that Indonesia’s battered tourism industry is on the road to recovery. But this week, controversial new laws were passed in parliament that ban cohabitation and sex outside marriage. The laws will apply not … Read more
CNN — A prominent Pakistani lawyer and human rights activist was shot dead on Monday at a court building in the northwestern city of Peshawar, according to police and a witness. Abdul Latif Afridi, 79, a former president of Pakistan’s Supreme Court bar association, was shot six times in a break room at the Peshawar … Read more
CNN — Indonesia is warning people against consuming liquid nitrogen after more than 20 children were harmed eating a street snack known as “dragon’s breath” that’s at the center of a dangerous new trend on short-form video app TikTok. The children suffered burns to their skin, severe stomach pains and food poisoning after consuming the … Read more
Kathmandu, Nepal CNN — At least 68 people were killed Sunday when an aircraft went down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a government official said, the country’s deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years. Seventy-two people – four crew members and 68 passengers – were on board the ATR 72 plane … Read more
CNN — A Facebook Live video purportedly showing the last terrifying moments inside the cabin on Yeti Airlines flight 691 before it crashed in Nepal on Sunday has circulated widely online, as search and recovery efforts continue on the ground. The plane crashed while en route from the Nepalese capital Kathmandu to Pokhara, a tourist … Read more
Seoul, South Korea CNN — As China continues to grow what is already the world’s largest navy, a professor at the US Naval War College has a warning for American military planners: In naval warfare, the bigger fleet almost always wins. Writing in the January issue of the US Naval Institute’s Proceedings magazine, Sam Tangredi … Read more
CNN — A search and rescue operation has been underway in Nepal following a deadly plane crash that once again highlights the dangers of air travel in a country often referred to as one of the riskiest places to fly. Of 72 people on board, at least 69 were killed and their bodies recovered after … Read more
Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned after the ruling Communist Party blamed him for “violations and wrongdoing” by officials under his control, the government said Tuesday, in a major escalation of the country’s anti-graft campaign. Phuc, a former prime minister widely credited with accelerating pro-business reforms, held the largely ceremonial post of president since … Read more
CNN — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday she will stand down as leader before February 7, saying she doesn’t believe she has the energy to seek re-election in the October polls. “Nearing the end of the year I thought I really need to give myself the summer to really consider whether or … Read more
CNN — There’s never been a better time to learn Korean. It’s one of the fastest-growing languages in the world, outpacing traditionally popular rivals like Chinese in multiple markets – reflecting the global phenomenon many call the “Korean wave.” In 2022, Korean was the seventh most-studied language on the learning app Duolingo, according to the … Read more
CNN — A Philippine court on Wednesday acquitted Nobel laureate Maria Ressa of tax evasion, ending a raft of legal hearings against the veteran Filipino-American journalist that she said were “politically motivated.” Ressa, CEO and founder of news site Rappler and a former CNN bureau chief, was cleared of four counts of tax violations filed … Read more
Tokyo CNN — The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday acquitted three former Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) executives, finding them not guilty of manslaughter over the 2011 triple reactor meltdown at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday. The High Court’s ruling was a decision on an appeal against a 2019 … Read more
Hong Kong CNN — Taiwan’s military on Tuesday rolled out plans to allow women to volunteer for reserve force training for the first time, as China continues to ramp up military pressure on the democratic self-ruled island. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said it will allow 220 discharged female soldiers to enroll in the training starting … Read more
New Delhi CNN — Three alleged black-market immigration agents have been arrested in western India in connection with the case of an Indian family who froze to death on the United States’ border with Canada last year, police said Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner Chaitanya Mandlik with Ahmedabad Police’s crime branch named the suspects as Yogesh Patel, … Read more
The leader of the world’s most isolated country Kim Jong Un has flouted international sanctions to develop North Korea’s weapons program — viewed as a direct threat to neighboring South Korea and Japan. Kim, a dictator who inherited power from his father in 2011, has also pledged to strengthen the country’s nuclear arsenal, despite signals … Read more
