Florida state senate candidate sues fellow Republicans over “racist” claims

Entertainment

Jenn Tran kicks off historic ‘Bachelorette’ season

Jenn Tran, a 26-year-old physician assistant from New Jersey, made her debut as the first Asian American Bachelorette on Monday night's season 21 premiere.The episode featured 25 suitors vying for Tran's affection, with unique entrances and gifts. 

Proud Vietnamese heritage: Tran began her journey by reflecting on her experience on "The Bachelor" and her desire to make her family and heritage proud. “I think what it really comes down to is that I just have to be myself and do the best that I can do,” the Vietnamese American said. “I know what I have to offer. I know who I am, and I know I am gonna find my person.”

First Impression rose awarded: The episode saw Tran awarding the coveted First Impression rose to 27-year-old contractor Sam McKinney. After a dramatic rose ceremony, the remaining contestants are headed to Melbourne, Australia.

Politics

Florida state senate candidate sues fellow Republicans over “racist” claims

Bowen Kou has filed lawsuits against the Florida Republican Senate Campaign Committee and Florida’s Voice, a conservative news outlet, for allegedly linking him to Chinese donors, including the Chinese Communist Party. The FRSCC is endorsing Rep. Keith Truenow, whom Kou is challenging for District 13.

What happened: The FRSCC has reportedly sent a series of mailers that question Kou’s donor base while referencing China and Chinese names. Florida’s Voice, on the other hand, published an article containing a false statement that referred to him as a “Chinese national.”

What he’s saying: Kou, who immigrated to the U.S. as a college student, is now an American citizen and entrepreneur. He describes the allegations as racist and is suing both parties for defamation, seeking $1 million from each. “These allegations sicken me, and I am disheartened that Truenow and the Florida Senate Caucus would attack me, a fellow Republican based on my heritage,” he told Florida Politics. “I am an American of Asian descent.”

News

Expats rate Vietnam as most affordable country for 2024

Vietnam has maintained its No. 1 position in the Personal Finance Index for 2024, being recognized as the most affordable country for expats, according to InterNations' Expat Insider 2024. The Southeast Asian country has held the top spot since the Expat Insider's 2022 edition.

The numbers: InterNations surveyed 12,500 expats from various countries. According to its findings, about four in five expats in Vietnam rated the cost of living in the country favorably, with half of them rating it as “very good.” Overall, around 65% of expats in Vietnam said they are satisfied with their financial situation compared to 54% of expats globally.

Other results: While Vietnam ranked first in the Personal Finance Index for 2024, the Southeast Asian country placed 40th out of 53 countries surveyed in terms of quality of life, 14th in the Working Abroad Index, 29th in expat essentials and 13th in ease of settling in. Meanwhile, other countries that made it into the top 10 of the Personal Finance Index for 2024 include Indonesia at No. 3, the Philippines at No. 5, India at No. 6, Thailand at No. 8 and China at No. 10.

News

Woman in China returns $310K to stranger after mistaken transfer

A Chinese woman returned 2.26 million yuan ($310,000) to a stranger after the latter accidentally transferred it to her through the mobile payment platform Alipay. The viral incident, news of which has been viewed more than 140 million times on Weibo, occurred in Xuchang, Henan province, on June 29.

What happened: The woman, identified by the surname Wang, recalled to Chinese media how she received multiple calls from an unknown number. When she finally answered, Wang said the person on the other end, Tian, from nearby Hubei province, was distraught. "A woman cried on the phone, telling me that she accidentally transferred 2.26 million yuan to me," Wang recounted to the media. Despite initially thinking it was a scam, Wang still comforted Tian through the ordeal.

The aftermath: Wang eventually went to the police station with her daughter to report the case. The authorities then called in Tian to question both individuals. After checking Wang’s Alipay account, they confirmed that multiple money transfers had indeed been sent and determined that the amount was Tian’s usual income. Without hesitation, Wang returned all of the money, telling Chinese media, “This is what I am supposed to do.”

Crime

Chinese man arrested for vandalizing controversial Japanese shrine

Jiang Zhuojun, a Chinese national living in Japan, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly conspiring with two others in the widely reported vandalism at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which enshrines some of the country’s war dead from both Sino-Japanese Wars, including war criminals. The incident occurred at around 9:55 p.m. on May 31, with the word “toilet” spray-painted in red on a stone pillar.

What he did: Jiang, 29, is accused of purchasing the spray paint used in the vandalism, which resulted in damages estimated at 4.2 million yen ($26,000). Authorities declined to disclose whether he has admitted to the allegations against him.

About his accomplices: His alleged conspirators, Dong Guangming, 36, and Xu Laiyu, 25, left for China on June 1 and are currently wanted. Dong is believed to be the main perpetrator, while Xu is accused of filming the act.

Entertainment

Netflix’s Chinese mislabeling of kimchi sparks controversy

Netflix has pledged to correct a recent subtitle error in its show "Super Rich in Korea," where kimchi was mistranslated to Chinese as "labaicai" (辣白菜), a different Chinese pickled vegetable dish. The error occurred in a scene where wealthy individuals were shown making kimchi, a staple of Korean cuisine.

• The mistranslation triggered backlash among South Korean netizens and cultural experts, who argued that this mislabeling undermines Korean cultural identity and history. They demanded Netflix correct the translation to "xinqi" (辛奇), as recommended by Korean cultural guidelines.

• Netflix defended its initial choice of "labaicai," stating it aimed to aid Chinese-speaking viewers' understanding but acknowledged the oversight and pledged to update all related subtitles. Chinese social media users responded negatively to the “xinqi” translation as some believe that kimchi was influenced by “pao cai” (泡菜), which means salted fermented vegetables in Mandarin. Others even go as far as claiming that kimchi is China’s own traditional dish.

More Asian News

2 Hawaii basketball standouts join Team Japan for Paris 2024: Akira Jacobs, a 20-year-old prospect from the University of Hawaii, and Hugh Watanabe, a 25-year-old standout from ‘Iolani School, have secured spots on Japan’s basketball squad for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. The two Hawaii players will be joining the team’s headliners, including NBA stars Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe, American-born Josh Hawkinson and B.League star Yuki Kawamura. Team Japan announced its final 12-player roster on Monday, following a rigorous selection process that saw 24 contenders vying for spots in Tokyo last month. 

Japan's first gay romance reality show debuts: "The Boyfriend," Japan's groundbreaking first same-sex romance reality series, premiered Tuesday on Netflix. Set in a seaside paradise called the "Green Room," the show follows nine diverse men – including a model, a hairstylist and a chef – on a month-long journey of love, friendship and self-discovery. Executive producer Dai Ota emphasizes that while romance is a key element, the series also focuses on “spending time together and experiencing personal growth.”

Lisa to debut solo performance at New York festival: Blackpink’s Lisa will be the fifth official headliner at New York’s Global Citizen Festival, joining Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll and Rauw Alejandro. This marks her first solo performance at a music festival, according to organizers. The philanthropic concert, which will take place in Central Park on Sept. 28, offers free tickets that can be earned by taking action on issues through the Global Citizen app. Head over here for more information.

Over 1,000 people infected by kimchi norovirus outbreak in South Korea: South Korean media reported that as many as 1,024 people suffered from food poisoning after eating kimchi contaminated by norovirus as of Saturday afternoon. Among those affected were students and staff from 24 schools where the kimchi was distributed as part of meals. Norovirus, a contagious disease, can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces that an infected person has touched. Most people can reportedly recover from its symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, without hospitalization.

Who’s Ready for the Olympics?