News

Asian countries shine at inaugural AI Olympiad

Singapore, China and Vietnam won big at the inaugural International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) 2024, held in Burgas, Bulgaria, from Aug. 9 to 15. The event evaluated over 40 teams representing over 30 countries and territories in both scientific and practical challenges, focusing on three key areas of AI: natural language processing, machine learning and computer vision. 

Scientific gold: Two Singaporean teams, selected in April by a panel of professors from Nanyang Technological University, clinched gold medals in the scientific round, which based scores on performances on a predefined task-specific metric. Teams from Letovo and Poland also secured gold in this round, while two Chinese teams won silver. The practical round, which required participants to design and perform experiments, saw Team USA taking home the gold, with teams from Hong Kong and China joining Canada, Romania, Letovo, UAE and Hungary in winning silver medals.

Vietnam makes its mark: Vietnamese teams also had a strong showing, with one team from the High School for the Gifted of Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City winning silver and another team from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted securing bronze in the scientific round. Their impressive performance placed Vietnam sixth in the overall medal tally, following Russia, Poland, Singapore, China and Hungary.

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Olympics

North Korea's 14-member Olympic team impresses with 6-medal haul

North Korea has captured international attention with its total haul of six Olympic medals despite sending only 14 athletes to the Paris Games. The nation ranked 68th overall on the medal list, beating out many countries with more participating athletes. 

Exceeding expectations: North Korea's impressive medal tally included two silver and four bronze medals across sports like table tennis, wrestling, boxing and diving. The performance has earned praise online, with netizens attributing their success to rigorous training under Chinese and Russian coaches. India, which ranked 71st overall, was criticized for its comparatively lackluster performance. 

Pressure to perform: The impressive showing by North Korea has also raised questions about the pressures faced by its athletes. Yong Ja Hong, a doctoral candidate at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, noted that the North Korean regime's emphasis on sports as a tool for political gain likely contributes to the athletes' intensive training and pressure to perform. She cites unconfirmed reports of athletes facing harsh punishments for failing to meet expectations.

News

Journalists get engaged at AAJA convention, marking full-circle in their relationship

At the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention in Austin, Jason Nguyen, senior investigative producer at KPRC, proposed to his longtime partner Rosie Nguyen, a race and culture reporter for KTRK, during the gala banquet where they were co-emcees and trailblazing journalist Connie Chung was honored with a lifetime achievement award. 

Down on one knee: The proposal, planned with the help of ESPN producer Howard Chen and a small circle of AAJA members, was a complete surprise to Rosie, with her family witnessing the moment via FaceTime. The couple, who have been together for six years after meeting as co-emcees for the Miss Asia Utah pageant in 2014, received an overwhelming response from the crowd, marking a full-circle moment in their relationship. “Journalism brought us together, and journalism is what has kept us together,” Jason said.

Full-circle moment: Rosie took to Facebook to share a heartwarming video of them as emcees in 2014 to Jason’s proposal. “I had no idea — ZERO — that before we were about to say goodbye, he was going to get down on one knee,” Rosie wrote. She expressed that despite the challenges and periods of separation in their relationship, the universe brought them back together, with Jason having supported her by moving to two different cities for her career. “I couldn't have asked for a better partner,” she said.

News

Funeral held for “bold, loving” mother as search for her missing kids continues

The family of Angelica Bravo, a 28-year-old mother from Sacramento County, held her funeral at St. Mary’s Cemetery on Tuesday along with dozens of community members after she was found dead in the home of her ex-boyfriend, Camron Lee, on July 8. The cause of her death is still undetermined, and while Lee is not labeled a suspect by the Sacramento Police Department, he is believed to have taken Bravo’s two young children, Athena, 4, and Mateo, 2, who remain missing over five weeks later. Lee also has not been able to be located since Bravo’s death.

Ongoing search: According to police, Camron Lee's gray 2023 Honda Passport, last seen entering Mexico on July 10, was found unoccupied in Ensenada on July 19. Authorities believe Athena and Mateo may have been dropped off in Southern California, possibly in areas like Fresno, Los Angeles or San Diego, but there have been no updates on their whereabouts. “There are no updates at this time. We are still actively working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to locate the children,” a SPD spokesperson reportedly said on Tuesday. 

The funeral: At the funeral, loved ones paid tribute to Bravo with messages describing her as “bold, loving and fearless.” “It’s just been a nightmare. This month has been like a nightmare that I can’t wake up from,” Bravo’s mother, Dawn Bodea, told KCRA 3. Her 18-year-old brother, Gilbert, keeps a photo of her around his neck and has a tattoo of her on his leg as he copes with her loss. “This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” he said. “I really want her to be remembered as the great person that she was and the kind-hearted soul that she is, and that she loved everybody, no matter if you weren’t her kid or friend, she loved you no matter what.”

News

SF Chinatown to host Hungry Ghost Festival this weekend

San Francisco’s Chinatown is set to host its second annual Hungry Ghost Festival this Saturday, a unique event rooted in one of China’s most historic traditions. As the only citywide Hungry Ghost Festival in the nation, the celebration is both a cultural showcase and a community catharsis, offering a contemporary twist on a festival observed across East and Southeast Asia.

Background: The Hungry Ghost Festival, traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month (falling on Aug. 18 this year), is said to be a time when the line between the living and the spirit realms blurs. In Chinese culture, this period is marked by rituals to appease “restless spirits” believed to be forgotten or have met unjust ends. For Chinese Americans, especially those affected by the historical traumas of the Chinese Exclusion Act, this festival is an opportunity to honor ancestors and confront generational grief. 

Event details: The theme of this year’s event, “Downpour, Uproar,” reflects a communal expression of pent-up emotions, allowing participants to channel their sorrow and frustrations in a safe, family-friendly environment. The festival kicks off at 4:00 p.m. at the Chinatown-Rose Pak Station with the Ghost King Parade, which will conclude at Portsmouth Square. From there, attendees can enjoy various activities until 9:00 p.m., including a marketplace on Waverly Place, art pop-ups on Grant Avenue and performances by groups like Stanford Taiko and Yau Kung Moon. The event also features community booths from organizations like the Asian Women’s Shelter and the Southeast Asian Community Center, alongside kid-friendly areas and art activations.

News

Indian man demands refund for Tesla he has never received in 7 years

An Indian businessman claimed a refund for the Tesla Model 3 he pre-ordered in April 2016 after waiting for nothing for seven years. Vishal Gondal, the founder and CEO of GOQii, a health-tech business located in Mumbai, made a $1,000 deposit on the electric vehicle (EV) even though he was unsure of when Tesla will introduce its vehicles in India.

What happened: “Elon Musk's tweets and news stories hinted at a potential India launch, but nothing concrete,” Gondal told Business Insider. The GOQii founder still praised Tesla by calling it a “great tech company” while speaking to the Associated Press, but noted that “they just don’t know how to sell luxury cars.” Gondal eventually received his refund money back in January 2023. Despite the disappointing turn of events, Gondal remains hopeful, telling Business Insider, “I would consider purchasing a Tesla in India only if there were a clear and reliable market strategy with strong customer support and when I see the car in India with my own eyes.”

Hefty import tax: India was listed with South Africa, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Ireland in Elon Musk's 2016 X post for the Model 3 order page. Musk stated that Tesla is still "working through a lot of challenges with the [Indian] government" in a January 2022 update. In March, India announced a deal with EV automakers under which the country will reduce import taxes for cars under $35,000 from 70% to 100% to 15% in exchange for the automakers' promise to establish a facility in India within three years.

News

Man given away by his grandma as a child reunites with parents 37 years later

A couple in Weinan, Shaanxi, China, has been reunited with their son, who was given away by his paternal grandmother as a child 37 years ago. The reunion took place in the man’s birth city of Weinan on Aug. 3, according to Jiupai News.

What happened: Born in 1986, the man, now known by his surname Pang, was just a day old when his grandmother, without the consent or knowledge of his parents, gave him to a man surnamed Zhao to be raised by his family. The grandmother later claimed that she did this because she believed it would be difficult for the couple to raise a third child. It is unclear how much money, if any, the grandmother received from Zhao. After her death, Pang’s biological father, Li, and his wife spent three decades searching for Pang, whom they believed was living with Zhao in Shandong province.

The reunion: Good news came in February when Li and his wife’s blood were matched to Pang’s, which had been included in a DNA database established by the Ministry of Public Security in 2009 to help reunite families. With the help of officers, they were eventually reunited. During the meeting, the tearful couple hugged Pang and said, “Son, dad and mum are sorry for you. How has your life been all these years?”

Final Bites

North Star Boys opens up about racism and mission to inspire: The North Star Boys shared the challenges they faced growing up, from bullying to racism, and how these experiences shaped their mission as the pioneering Asian American content creator group. As the boys celebrate their third anniversary, they reflect on their journey and the significance of their platform in promoting Asian representation. In an interview with NextShark, members Darren Liang, Kane Ratan and Tyler Bray shared deeply personal stories of the racism and self-doubt they had endured, emphasizing how these struggles fueled their passion to inspire others. “That's what we want to do, is to not allow others to feel that same way, to feel undesired, to feel unlovable, and to be able to look up to someone who looks like them and say, ‘Hey, I could do that too,’” Bray said.

Collin Gosselin discharged from military training: Former Korean American child star Collin Gosselin, who graced reality TV with his family in “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” said he was discharged from U.S. military training after it was discovered that he had been institutionalized. "I was towards the end of training, very close to graduating. The paperwork was looked into, and they found out that I was, in fact, in an institution at one point in my life," Gosselin, now 20, told Entertainment Tonight. Gosselin’s mother, Kate, sent him to an institution at age 12 due to his alleged "unpredictable and violent behavior," but his father, Jon, managed to get him out after pleading in a letter in 2018. Gosselin is now set to major in finance at Pennsylvania State University.

Rob Schneider apologizes to daughter Elle King for “shortcomings”: Filipino American comedian Robert Schneider apologized to his 35-year-old daughter, singer Elle King, for his “shortcomings” during her upbringing on the “Tucker Carlson Network” on Wednesday. “I wanna just tell my daughter, Elle, I love you and I wish I was the father in my 20s that you needed,” Schneider, 60, said. “I feel terrible, and I just want you to know that I don’t take anything you say personally.” Schneider’s apology came days after King reminisced about her relationship with her father on Bunnie XO’s "Dumb Blonde" podcast, in which she mentioned how he allegedly “forgot about every single birthday” when she was a child, sent her to “fat camp” and got her in trouble for talking when visiting him on a movie set.

IKEA Taiwan’s joss paper cake for Hungry Ghost Festival ignites discussion: IKEA Taiwan has released a joss paper-like (ghost money) cake in celebration of the Hungry Ghost Festival, which takes place on Sunday. The cake, made from eggs, sugar, emulsifier, butter, and flour, costs 85 New Taiwan dollars ($2.60) and quickly sold out after its release on Aug. 10. Some Chinese commenters found IKEA Taiwan’s joss paper cake humorous, with one person joking, “If I eat it, am I a ghost?” while others thought the treat was safer for the environment, writing, “Please replace gold paper with this kind of tribute. It is environmentally friendly and saves money.” Joss papers resemble money that Chinese people burn during offering ceremonies for their ancestors or deceased loved ones.

North Korea set to reopen for foreign tourists: North Korea is reopening its borders to foreign tourists in December, starting with the northeastern city of Samjiyon. This marks the first time in five years the country’s reclusive ruling regime will allow international visitors beyond Russia. Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based agency, confirmed the news, stating “We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024.” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who visited Samjiyon last month, highlighted plans to develop the area — which is located near Mount Paektu, North Korea’s tallest peak that is also an active volcano — as a key international tourist destination. The decision comes after years of strict COVID-19 border closures that severely limited the regime’s international engagement.