Chinese

Two aircraft of Cambodian national flag carrier Angkor Air. Photo courtesy of Cambodia Angkor Air. HCMC police have arrested a Chinese national for stealing $4,500 in cash from a fellow passenger on an Angkor Air flight last week. Citing aviation authorities, the Giao Thong Newspaper under the Ministry of Transport reported Friday that aircraft crew espied 42-year-old Cheng Xin Sheng rummaging through the bag of another passenger on a flight from Sihanoukville to Ho Chi Minh City last Saturday. Suspicious, they asked the other passenger, whose name and nationality have not been revealed, to check his belongings to see if anything had been taken. The passenger checked and claimed he'd lost $4,500 in cash. After the plane landed at the Tan Son Nhat Airport, the flight crew and airport security officers carried out an inspection and found the money in Cheng's luggage. The flight crew later handed the Chinese man to security authorities at Tan Son Nhat Airport who turned him over to … [Read more...] about Chinese man caught stealing $4,500 on Sihanoukville-HCMC flight

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is reviewing relationships with Chinese artificial intelligence companies hit with a U.S. export ban.The U.S. Commerce Department this week blacklisted 28 Chinese organizations, including AI firms SenseTime and iFlytek which have research partnerships with MIT.The Trump administration says the organizations have been implicated in the repression of China’s Muslim minority.MIT spokeswoman Kimberly Allen says the university pays careful attention to export controls and will modify its interactions with the companies as necessary. The MIT-SenseTime Alliance on Artificial Intelligence funds multiple research projects. Voice recognition company iFlytek last year announced a 5-year partnership with MIT’s AI researchers.SenseTime spokeswoman June Jin says its partnerships are driven by the spirit of learning. She says SenseTime is misunderstood and “deeply disappointed” by the U.S. action. … [Read more...] about MIT reviews partnerships with blacklisted Chinese tech firms

Updated: March 21, 2013 Though I’ve heard mixed reviews about London, for me it was nothing short of a very drizzly heaven. After months of feeling like I have no personality (my poor French reduces me to a shy but sweet, whimpering version of myself), it was such a blessing to socialize in my native language. Escaping from France aside, there was so much to love about London, and I spent three days pocketing little moments of joy across the city. Here are a few of those moments. Table of Contents Generously sized coffeeLunch at Borough MarketCatching some rays on the ThamesWelcoming in spring at Hyde ParkStumbling upon the Camden Lock’s Global KitchenEncountering Street ArtAntique Shopping on Portobello RoadBreak Dancing in Trafalgar SquareEnjoying some much needed time at the pubEnjoyed this post? Subscribe here! Generously sized coffee La Belle France. I have no idea why it has a good reputation.) Lunch at Borough Market Spit roast pork sandwiches, chocolate chip … [Read more...] about My Favorite London Moments

CHERNIVTSI, Ukraine — Tucked in the southwest corner of Ukraine, Chernivtsi is a cheerful city that graciously marries the glories and sorrows of centuries past with vibrant Eastern European urban life today. It's at the heart of a geographical and historical region with a name that almost sounds whimsical: Bukovina. Fiercely proud Bukovina, whose name means beechwood in Romanian, spans Romania and Ukraine and straddles the Carpathian Mountains. Bukovina has witnessed a long succession of rulers and influences, including Huns, Ottomans sultans and Austro-Hungarian emperors. A flourishing Jewish population in Bukovina was uprooted and largely exterminated during World War II, but there are traces of it if you look. Early this summer, joined by my daughter, I spent 10 days in Chernivtsi. Every day I grew more charmed by the city. One of the oldest towns in Ukraine, Chernivtsi brims with young people, drawn by a renowned university with such impressive, 19th-century architecture … [Read more...] about Ukraine’s Chernivtsi a charming city of architectural gems

The president’s call for Chinese intervention means that Trump and his attorney general have solicited assistance in discrediting the president’s political opponents from Ukraine, Australia, Italy, and, according to one report, Britain. In speaking so publicly Thursday, a defiant Trump pushed back against critics who have called such requests an abuse of power, essentially arguing that there was nothing wrong with seeking foreign help. Throughout his presidency, Trump has made no effort to hide actions or statements that critics called outrageous violations of norms and standards — but because he does them in public, they seem to stir less blowback than if they had been done behind closed doors. Among other things, he repeatedly called on his own Justice Department to investigate his Democratic foes and eventually fired his first attorney general for not protecting him from the Russia investigation. The comments on China came as the first witness appeared on … [Read more...] about Trump publicly urges China to investigate the Bidens