Global Pulse

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  • China advances flood control, disaster relief efforts in key southern regions

    China advances flood control, disaster relief efforts in key southern regions

    BEIJING – As consecutive rounds of extreme rainfall continue to batter southern China, national emergency management authorities have formally deployed comprehensive flood prevention, emergency response, and disaster relief operations across high-risk key regions, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced Tuesday.

    Preliminary meteorological data shows recent downpours across parts of Hunan, Guizhou, and Jiangxi provinces have already shattered historical rainfall records for this time of year. Following the first widespread intense rainfall event that swept through the region starting April 20, a second wave of heavy precipitation is projected to hit southern China beginning April 26, according to the joint meeting co-hosted by the Ministry of Emergency Management and the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

    Meeting participants highlighted that prolonged continuous rainfall has left soil in multiple affected areas completely saturated, drastically increasing the likelihood of flash floods and catastrophic geological disasters including landslides and mudslides.

    To mitigate emerging risks, the joint meeting outlined a series of priority action items for local and regional authorities. First, officials are directed to strengthen real-time monitoring, meteorological forecasting, and early warning systems, leveraging multi-source data to boost the accuracy of short-term rainfall and hazard projections, expand the reach of early alert networks, and guarantee that warnings reach individual households, villages, and grassroots townships without delay.

    Second, the meeting stressed that special attention must be paid to flood safety at high-risk populated sites, ordering authorities to prioritize flood prevention and contingency planning at elderly care centers, active construction sites, and popular tourist attractions where large groups of people may gather.

    Finally, the meeting called for systematic full inspections of critical water infrastructure, including reservoirs, river dikes, and major hydropower and water conservancy projects, with targeted reinforcement measures to address existing structural vulnerabilities. It also ordered the pre-positioning of disaster relief supplies and emergency response equipment in high-risk zones to enable rapid deployment when disasters strike.

  • Chinese engineers plan to study building greenhouse on lunar surface

    Chinese engineers plan to study building greenhouse on lunar surface

    BEIJING, April 22 — In an announcement made at a Beijing press conference this week, a senior leader from China’s lunar exploration program has revealed that Chinese space engineers are set to launch preliminary research into constructing a functional greenhouse on the surface of the moon.

    Wang Qiong, senior space engineer and deputy chief designer of China’s groundbreaking Chang’e 6 mission at the China National Space Administration (CNSA) Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center, outlined that the initiative leverages cutting-edge lunar construction technologies to address one of the most persistent hazards of lunar exploration: the extreme environment of the lunar night. Spanning 14 Earth days, the lunar night sees temperatures plummet to as low as minus 200 degrees Celsius, creating life-threatening and equipment-damaging conditions for lunar rovers, robotic systems, and any future human expeditions. The proposed greenhouse would act as a temperature-controlled shelter, allowing robotic assets to survive the long, frigid dark period more reliably than existing power and thermal management systems.

    As China’s lunar exploration program shifts its long-term strategy from short-duration robotic missions to sustainable infrastructure that will support eventual human stays on the moon, this research fills a critical gap in current lunar habitat design, Wang noted. A functional lunar greenhouse could also lay early groundwork for testing in-situ resource utilization and closed-loop life support systems that will be essential for future crewed lunar bases.

    The announcement of the greenhouse research comes on the heels of a series of major scientific breakthroughs achieved by the Chang’e 6 mission, which made history as the first human mission to return geological samples from the far side of the moon. In June 2024, the Chang’e 6 return capsule touched down in northern China, carrying 1,935.3 grams of far-side lunar material back to Earth. Analysis of these unprecedented samples has already allowed Chinese scientists to reconstruct, for the first time in global lunar science, the complete evolutionary geological history of the moon’s little-studied far side.

    Wang also highlighted the collaborative, open nature of China’s lunar exploration efforts, noting that the Chang’e 6 mission successfully carried international payloads from partner space agencies across the globe. The mission hosted a Pakistani CubeSat, plus three independent scientific instruments from France, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Italy. All international cooperative instruments have already returned data that exceeded pre-mission performance expectations, demonstrating the value of global collaboration in advancing deep space exploration.

    The plan to research a lunar greenhouse marks another step forward in China’s expanding lunar exploration roadmap, building on the historic success of Chang’e 6 to push the boundaries of what is possible for long-term lunar activity.

  • Connecting neighbors with energy and education

    Connecting neighbors with energy and education

    As the China-Laos 500-kilovolt interconnection project nears full commercial operation, it is delivering far more than cross-border energy connectivity — it is building enduring people-to-people bonds between the two neighboring nations through targeted skills training and community investment.

    Few embody this dual impact as clearly as Fenta Sisoulath, a technical staff member at Electricite du Laos Transmission Company (EDL-T). Stationed at the Namor 3 Substation in northern Laos, Fenta now fills a newly created role: lead mentor to 21 recently hired Lao technicians, guiding his local colleagues through the complex mechanics and operational protocols of the advanced cross-border energy system.

    For Fenta, this full-circle professional journey began with a life-changing opportunity: a regional scholarship funded by China Southern Power Grid (CSG), designed to support young students from Lancang-Mekong Cooperation countries pursuing energy-related higher education. Seven years ago, he became one of the first Lao students admitted to the program, heading to Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan Province, to study electrical engineering.

    The early days of his studies presented steep challenges. Arriving with limited proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, Fenta struggled to navigate dense, technical coursework packed with specialized engineering terminology. There were points when he questioned whether he could complete the program, he recalled, never imagining he would one day work in the national power sector. Today, he stands as a critical bridge between the two countries, passing on hard-won technical expertise while strengthening cultural connections between China and Laos.

    From the earliest construction phases of the interconnection project, both project partners prioritized localized employment and inclusive professional development. To date, the initiative has hired more than 500 Lao workers across all phases of development and operation, from on-site construction teams to central control room staff, placing local employees side-by-side with Chinese engineers at every step of the cross-border infrastructure project.

    As bilateral energy cooperation has deepened, Laos’ domestic power sector workforce has expanded significantly, with growing numbers of Lao professionals stepping into key technical and senior managerial roles. By 2025, the share of local employees at EDL-T had climbed to 85 percent, marking major progress in building long-term local capacity for the Lao energy industry.

    Beyond the original scholarship program that supported Fenta and dozens of other students, CSG has rolled out a full suite of capacity-building initiatives, including specialized professional courses and on-the-job practical training. As bilateral cooperation continues to grow, CSG has announced plans to further expand its regional training system. In 2026 alone, the company expects to host 27 international training programs across 28 separate sessions, expecting to reach nearly 590 trainees from ASEAN member states — with Lao participants making up a large proportion of attendees.

    The project’s commitment to local development extends far beyond energy infrastructure and workforce training, addressing unmet needs in local community services. Xie Min, deputy general manager of EDL-T, noted that inclusive community investment, particularly in education, has been a core pillar of the bilateral partnership from the start.

    During construction surveys, project teams discovered that multiple rural primary schools in remote northern Lao border regions lacked basic teaching facilities. In response, EDL-T funded construction of a new primary school campus in Namor Tai village, located near the Namor 3 Substation along the China-Laos border. Spanning 3,185 square meters, the new campus opened to students in December 2025, providing dramatically improved learning environments for local children.

    “Our core goal from the start has been to cultivate homegrown talent for Laos’ national development and its growing power sector,” Xie explained. “What matters most is that this expertise will contribute to long-term progress for Lao society.”

    As the 2026 first semester approaches, the new school stands ready to welcome its young students — representing a lasting investment in Laos’ future, one that will outlive the infrastructure project itself and deepen the connection between the two neighboring nations for generations.

  • Corn is back on the menu for US exporters: Report

    Corn is back on the menu for US exporters: Report

    After years of trailing Brazil as the top corn supplier to China, the United States has clawed back lost market share in the world’s largest agricultural commodities market, marking a much-needed win for American growers navigating ongoing financial headwinds, according to a new analysis from Breakwave Advisors.

    The New York-based commodity trading advisor drew on shipping and trade data from the Signal Ocean Platform to track recent export flows. The analysis confirmed that while Brazil dominated Chinese corn imports throughout 2025, the United States overtook its South American rival to claim the top supplier position by the end of late March. This reversal in market standing aligns with on-the-ground observations from agricultural economists, who note US corn shipments have been unusually strong across the opening weeks of the year.

    William W. Wilson, an agribusiness and applied economics professor at North Dakota State University, told China Daily two key global trends are driving the unexpected uptick in demand. “Number one, we’re seeing pretty robust overall demand in the international marketplace, and on top of that, international demand for corn for biofuel production has grown substantially,” Wilson explained.

    International exports have long been a backbone of the US corn industry, with regional trade pacts underpinning decades of steady growth. USDA data shows Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Colombia collectively purchase two-thirds of all US corn exports, with Mexico alone absorbing 40 percent of total outbound shipments. The United States also sends 35 percent of its total ethanol exports to northern neighbor Canada, with the entire North American trade relationship governed by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force on July 1, 2020. The three partner nations are scheduled to hold a joint review of the deal in July ahead of a planned 16-year extension.

    For the broader US economy, the corn sector is an underrecognized engine of growth and employment. Industry group the National Corn Growers Association, which advocates for reduced trade barriers and expanded global market access for American producers, reports that corn farming generated more than $151 billion in total national economic output in 2023, while directly and indirectly supporting at least 600,000 domestic jobs. USDA figures add that nearly a third of all income for US corn producers comes from export sales, highlighting how critical foreign market access is to the sector’s long-term stability.

    That importance is reflected in the USDA’s latest 2025-26 marketing year projections, released in April, which forecast total US corn exports will reach approximately 3.3 billion bushels (116 million cubic meters) – an all-time record for the industry.

    Veteran agricultural experts emphasize that consistent, predictable access to global markets is the single most important factor supporting American corn growers’ long-term prosperity. Bob Nielsen, an emeritus agronomy professor at Purdue University who grew up on a corn farm in Nebraska and has spent more than four decades studying corn crop management, stressed that stable trade relationships remove much of the uncertainty that plagues farming operations.

    “The more that we can maintain good trade relations with major markets like China and Mexico, and stabilize export demand to keep it consistent year in and year out, the better off US farmers will be,” Nielsen said. He added that farming is inherently a volatile business, with growers constantly at the mercy of shifting global market demands for corn, which is used for everything from human consumption to biofuel production and animal feed. “That uncertainty has always been the core frustration and biggest challenge for corn growers across the country,” he noted.

    In response to the shifting market dynamics, US farm groups and corn producers have called on the Trump administration to prioritize agricultural trade issues during President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China. While the recent gain in Chinese market share is a positive development, analysts warn that the US corn sector still faces significant headwinds that could erode competitiveness. Tariffs on agricultural goods and intensifying global competition from rival producing nations continue to raise operational costs and put pressure on American export prices.

    Wilson noted that the United States faces intense competition from other major corn exporting nations, specifically pointing to Brazil, Ukraine and Argentina as key rivals. “For our growers, getting trade policy sorted out to make sure we aren’t put at an unfair disadvantage is absolutely critical right now as we work to hold onto these recent market gains,” he said.

  • Exploring barefoot trails on 2 continents as a way to connect with nature this Earth Day

    Exploring barefoot trails on 2 continents as a way to connect with nature this Earth Day

    Thousands of kilometers apart, two very different hiking trails share one unusual, intentional feature. In Germany’s scenic Black Forest, waterlogged path steps sink into ankle-deep mud that demands slow, careful footwork. Across the Atlantic in northern Arizona’s ponderosa pine woodlands, hikers must navigate just as deliberately across a line of tree stumps repurposed as stepping stones. What unites these two pathways is a simple premise: they are built for visitors to explore without socks or shoes.

    Barefoot trails have popped up across every inhabited continent, designed to invite people to engage more deeply with the natural world through direct sensory experience. Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping across soft pine needles, exploring quiet meditation nooks, testing scent stations and navigating dark sensory rooms transforms an ordinary daily walk into a fully immersive, grounding activity. Beyond the sensory experience, podiatrists and long-time barefoot walking advocates note that walking shoeless across varied natural surfaces may offer tangible benefits for both emotional well-being and long-term foot health.

    The modern barefoot trail movement is rooted in more than a century of wellness philosophy. While theories about the perks of going barefoot have surged in popularity among runners, athletes, environmental advocates and mental health wellness circles in recent decades, the core idea dates back to the 1800s. Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th-century German Catholic priest and an early pioneer of naturopathic medicine, championed regular nature exposure, hydrotherapy and barefoot walking as a form of gentle exercise. He argued that barefoot walking boosts circulation, supports overall immune function and improves whole-body health, famously recommending walks across dewy grass or even snow, and once referred to conventional shoes as “foot-bending machinery.”

    Kneipp’s wellness philosophy inspired the creation of barefoot paths across the European continent, where many trails are still referred to as Kneipp paths, and later spread to a smaller but growing community of enthusiasts in the United States. In Asia, a parallel tradition of reflexology trails, built from smooth stones, pebbles and natural grass, is designed to stimulate pressure points on the soles of the feet, a practice rooted in traditional East Asian medical therapy. This article is part of the Associated Press’s ongoing *Be Well* coverage series, which focuses on topics including holistic wellness, fitness, nutrition and mental health.

    Germany’s Park mit allen Sinnen — translated as “Park with All Senses” — sits within the Black Forest, a 6,000-square-kilometer region that has become a global hub for wellness tourism, where visitors come to breathe crisp mountain air, soak in natural thermal baths and book spa treatments that use native regional plants and herbs. The park charges a small admission fee for access to its 1-kilometer barefoot trail. According to the park’s official website, wandering shoeless across the trail’s wide range of different surfaces “is ideal for exercising your back and spine, and at the same time, it’s a perfect foot reflexology massage in the fresh air.”

    In the United States, Leah Williams, owner of The Barefoot Trail park near Flagstaff, Arizona, launched her own 1-kilometer manicured barefoot trail just off Route 66 two years ago, following a family trip to Europe. Williams runs the park through a nonprofit charitable foundation, and requires tickets for entry. Raised with the tradition of barefoot outdoor activity — her German-born mother encouraged her to play barefoot in the forests and creeks around Seattle as a child, a habit Williams carried into adulthood and passed down to her own children — Williams first fell in love with the concept of a formal barefoot trail during a trip to a Belgian path while her family was living in the Netherlands.

    “I loved everything about it. I saw all ages, and I loved seeing older people at the park because you don’t see that here in the United States,” Williams said. “I thought, ‘Wow, when I get back to the United States, I’m going to build one of these parks myself.’” Today, she also develops educational programming for schools, summer camps and youth programs that bring children to explore the trail. “Being good stewards of nature is really our job as human beings, and we have taken 13 acres of land at our park for our community enjoyment … for local, statewide and regional enjoyment,” Williams said, speaking emotionally about the project.

    Unlike a standard hike, barefoot trails offer a uniquely sensory experience that most people never get in regular daily life. For most people who do not regularly walk barefoot outdoors, exposing the soft soles of the feet to a range of textures, temperatures and surfaces takes time to get used to. “You should see people’s faces when they start walking,” Williams said, chuckling at the memory of first-time visitors’ reactions. While most barefoot trail operators strongly encourage shoeless walking to get the full experience, it is never required. Visitors with diabetes, neuropathy or other chronic foot conditions are fully welcome to keep their shoes on at both the Arizona and German parks.

    Many trails are intentionally designed to engage all five senses, not just the sense of touch. At Germany’s Park mit allen Sinnen, a “Quiet Please” sign marks the entrance to a dedicated meditation cave, where a long wooden bench faces tall windows looking out over the forest, and soft calming music plays through hidden speakers. In other sections of the park, visitors can squeeze red rubber bulbs to release the scents of papaya and apricot, or place their hands into a sealed box lined with wild boar fur to feel the texture.

    The barefoot trail movement has expanded far beyond Germany and the United States today. Across Europe, Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Switzerland and the United Kingdom all host a growing network of barefoot trails, though many small local paths are not marketed to tourists, so first-time visitors may need to search for trails using local language terms like “barefoot path” to find them. In East Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan all have public parks with permanent pebble reflexology trails, where smooth stones are set into concrete to offer a foot massage and pressure point stimulation during walks.

    In the United States, informal barefoot hikes along existing trails and small dedicated wellness parks are slowly growing in number, but formal barefoot parks remain relatively rare. That is why Williams is working to expand her nonprofit barefoot trail concept to other parts of the country. Her foundation recently received 20 acres of land in Lawrence, Kansas, a college town, to develop a second barefoot park integrated into a new mixed commercial and residential development. “It’s about integrating those natural environments into people’s daily lives and providing those safe spaces for people to enjoy,” Williams said.

    This report was compiled from on-the-ground reporting by Mumphrey in Flagstaff, Arizona.

  • UN voices hope for US-Iran talks resumption

    UN voices hope for US-Iran talks resumption

    Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran are at a critical juncture this week, as the United Nations has publicly pushed for both sides to extend their existing temporary ceasefire and restart stalled dialogue.

  • US charges anti-extremism group over payments to informants in hate groups

    US charges anti-extremism group over payments to informants in hate groups

    On Tuesday, Acting United States Attorney General Todd Blanche made a landmark announcement of federal criminal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a decades-old civil rights organization long known for its work tracking extremist movements and leading high-profile campaigns against the Ku Klux Klan. The charges mark a dramatic escalation of long-running tensions between the SPLC and the current Trump-aligned administration, laying out a series of serious fraud and money laundering allegations against the non-profit group.

    The 11-count indictment handed down by the Department of Justice (DOJ) includes six charges of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. At the core of the government’s case is the accusation that the SPLC deceived its donors by funnelling millions of dollars in charitable contributions to paid informants embedded within the very extremist groups the organization claims to oppose—going so far as to enable the extremism it says it fights. According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2023 alone, the SPLC directed more than $3 million to individuals with ties to violent extremist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazi group National Alliance, and the National Socialist Movement. One prominent case cited in the charging document details more than $1 million paid over nine years to an informant who stole 25 boxes of internal documents from the National Alliance’s headquarters. In another, the SPLC transferred over $270,000 to an individual who helped plan and attended the deadly 2017 Unite the Right white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia; the indictment does not clarify what work the payment was for.

    Blanche laid out the government’s position during Tuesday’s press conference, arguing that the SPLC had betrayed public trust. “The SPLC is a non-profit entity that purports to fight white supremacy and racial hatred by reporting on extremist groups and conducting research to inform law enforcement groups with the goal of dismantling these groups,” Blanche said. “The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

    Leadership of the Montgomery, Alabama-based organization has pushed back forcefully against the charges, framing the indictment as a politically motivated attack by an administration that has long targeted the SPLC for its work. Interim SPLC leader Bryan Fair released a pre-emptive video statement ahead of the official announcement of charges, noting the group’s 55-year history of combating white supremacy and systemic injustice. “We are therefore unsurprised to be the latest organisation targeted by this administration,” Fair said. He defended the group’s past use of paid informants, arguing the practice was a necessary safety measure given the long history of violence and threats against the organization. Fair pointed to the 1983 firebomb attack on the SPLC’s former office as evidence of the persistent danger the group faces, adding that the organization historically shared all intelligence gathered by informants with law enforcement partners including the FBI. “These individuals risked their lives to infiltrate and inform on the activities of our nation’s most radical and violent extremist groups,” he said. Fair also confirmed the SPLC no longer works with paid informants, and accused prosecutors of weaponizing the federal justice system to target a political opponent. “Today, the federal government has been weaponised to dismantle the rights of our nation’s most vulnerable people, and any organization like ours that stands in the breach,” he said. The group’s president has also reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to mounting a vigorous legal defense of its work, staff, and mission.

    Tensions between the SPLC and the Trump administration predate the current charges, with the FBI formally cutting ties with the group last October after labeling it a “partisan smear machine.” For years, conservative Republicans have also criticized the SPLC for what they call unfair targeting of right-leaning organizations, including Turning Point USA, the Family Research Council, and Moms for Liberty, as well as former officials aligned with the Trump administration.

  • Xizang’s coffee blends with traditional flavors attract global attention

    Xizang’s coffee blends with traditional flavors attract global attention

    A groundbreaking culinary movement emerging from Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region is turning heads across the global coffee landscape: small-batch coffee brands weaving centuries-old Tibetan flavor traditions into unique roasts are building growing international followings, opening new doors for cultural exchange on the world stage.

    At the forefront of this movement is Nindo Coffee, an independent Xizang-based brand that recently captured widespread acclaim at the 2025 Paris Coffee Festival, held from April 11 to 13. The appearance marked the brand’s second major European showcase, following a successful debut at a London coffee exhibition in 2024. For Tsomo, Nindo Coffee’s founder, this global momentum is the product of eight years of deliberate, sustained experimentation, not a sudden break into international markets.

    Unlike many novelty fusion products that tack exotic regional elements onto existing coffee recipes, Nindo Coffee’s signature blends are rooted in a deep reimagining of Xizang’s culinary identity. Drawing on beloved local flavor profiles such as creamy salty milk tea and the hearty, textured ingredients of high-altitude Tibetan diets, the roasts redefine what specialty coffee can taste like, rather than just adding a cultural gimmick. To complement the unique flavor experience at the Paris festival, the brand brought immersive Tibetan visual culture to its booth, displaying traditional incense cloths and Tibetan opera masks to give attendees a full sensory introduction to the region behind the beans.

    The immersive offering resonated far more than casual novelty: attendees returned to the booth repeatedly, sharing their new favorite find with other guests and sparking genuine organic enthusiasm among coffee lovers. Industry experts echoed that praise, with support from the International Culture Association of the Xizang Autonomous Region helping amplify the brand’s presence on the global stage. Angie Molina, 2025 World Brewers Cup France champion, described the brand’s viral salted milk tea dirty blend as one-of-a-kind, noting it struck a perfectly balanced profile of sweet, rich depth that left a lasting impression.

    Looking ahead, Nindo Coffee has ambitious plans to embed Xizang more deeply in the global professional coffee community. The brand aims to launch the first Xizang Autonomous Region coffee festival, creating a space for domestic and international coffee roasters to collaborate and exchange ideas. It is also set to host the Lhasa regional qualifying round of the 2026 China Brewers Cup, the official selection pathway for the World Brewers Cup, bringing top-tier global coffee competition infrastructure to the region.

    Nindo Coffee’s success is part of a larger booming coffee culture across Xizang, where neighborhood street-side cafes have quickly become central hubs for social connection, remote work, and leisure. Local industry leaders note that fusion coffee creations that blend global coffee culture with Tibetan heritage — from tsampa-infused roasts to rich butter coffee — have already become beloved local staples, earning widespread recognition as distinctive cultural emblems of Xizang. For local coffee enthusiasts like Lhasa resident Tashi Dundrup, the international acclaim for Nindo Coffee marks a major milestone: it not only shares Tibetan coffee culture with the world but also creates pathways for global industry professionals to visit Xizang, build connections, and help the region’s unique coffee identity carve out a permanent place on the global coffee map.

  • Trump threatens to bomb Iran again after announcing ceasefire extension

    Trump threatens to bomb Iran again after announcing ceasefire extension

    WASHINGTON, April 22 – In a contradictory series of announcements that have amplified tensions in the already volatile Persian Gulf, US President Donald Trump has extended a fragile two-week ceasefire with Iran even as he issued a stark new threat to launch devastating bombing strikes on Iranian territory, including targeting the country’s top leadership.

    The current temporary truce between the two nations was scheduled to expire at the end of Wednesday. Early on Tuesday, Trump confirmed that the ceasefire would remain in place for an additional period, a move that briefly raised hopes for de-escalation in the standoff centered on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil supplies pass daily.

    However, just hours after announcing the ceasefire extension, the US president took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a bellicose warning that undercuts any prospects for diplomatic negotiation between the two countries. Trump claimed that any US action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping chokepoint that has been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions for decades – would rule out any future diplomatic agreement with Tehran.

    “An agreement would be impossible unless we blow up the rest of their country,” Trump wrote in the social media post. He added that Iranian national leaders are explicitly “included” in the targets of any potential new bombing campaign.

    The dual announcements have drawn international attention, as the global community has repeatedly called for restraint to prevent a full-scale conflict from breaking out in the Middle East. The United Nations recently publicly voiced hope that talks between the US and Iran could be resumed to resolve outstanding differences through diplomatic channels, but Trump’s latest threat casts significant doubt on the prospects for any near-term diplomatic breakthrough.

  • Zhengzhou restaurant serves up flavors of home

    Zhengzhou restaurant serves up flavors of home

    Tucked away in a quiet corner of a cultural and creative park in Zhengzhou, the capital of China’s central Henan Province, Daodao Guilai restaurant offers far more than authentic Taiwanese cuisine. For visitors and regulars alike, it is a warm harbor of homely comfort, and a quiet, powerful bond that brings together people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

    Founded in 2024 by 46-year-old Lan Wen-chuan, a native of Yilan County, Taiwan, the restaurant carries layers of personal and cross-generational meaning. Lan’s maternal roots stretch back to Luohe, Henan, where her grandparents left decades ago to build a new life and run a family restaurant in Taiwan. It was not until more than 20 years ago, when Lan moved to Zhengzhou for a work posting, that she fully grasped the depth of this family connection.

    “For my family, this wasn’t leaving home—it was coming home,” Lan explained. After years of building an online business and putting down roots in Henan, Lan decided to open the restaurant when friends, both Taiwanese and local Zhengzhou residents, told her the city was missing a spot serving real, traditional Taiwanese flavors. Drawing on decades of her family’s restaurant expertise, she set out to craft a space that feels like a home away from home for anyone who misses Taiwan.

    Every detail of the restaurant’s decor is curated to evoke Taiwanese cultural memory: vintage radios, retro promotional posters, and hand-painted murals line the walls, each small element adding to the warm, familiar atmosphere. “I wanted every detail to tell a story of the shared memories we hold across the Strait,” Lan said.

    The menu centers on beloved Taiwanese street food and home-style dishes: Taipei-style braised pork rice, crispy oyster omelette, chewy beef noodles, aromatic three-cup chicken, and crunchy shrimp crackers. To perfect her oyster omelette recipe, Lan traveled back to Taiwan to train with more than a dozen seasoned night market vendors, refining her technique to match the authentic flavors she grew up with. For Lan, one of the greatest joys of running the restaurant is hearing small, satisfying moments: “One of my happiest moments is hearing a parent say their picky child finished a whole bowl of braised pork rice,” she shared.

    Beyond serving food, the restaurant has grown into a beloved community hub for young Taiwanese people living and working in Henan. Lan makes a point of supporting new arrivals as they adapt to life on the Chinese mainland, helping with everything from applying for residence permits and enrolling in medical insurance to sharing practical career advice. She actively encourages Taiwanese people to come experience the mainland for themselves, instead of forming opinions based on secondhand reports.

    “Don’t understand the world only through what you hear. Come and see it with your own eyes,” she said. Lan notes that many young Taiwanese visitors are caught off guard by how advanced daily life is on the mainland, from the ultra-convenience of mobile delivery apps to the rapid pace of development. “What they see here is completely different from what they heard back home,” she added.

    Xu Chu-qiao, a 24-year-old new graduate from Kaohsiung who got a job at the restaurant after finishing her degree at Zhengzhou University, echoes this view. “For me, coming to the Chinese mainland to study and work is also a process of broadening my horizons,” Xu said. “It’s best if you come and see for yourself — that’s the only way to truly experience and understand.”

    Displayed prominently on one of the restaurant’s main walls is a plaque that reads: “People on both sides of the Strait are one family.” For Hsi Yun-lung, a diner who grew up in New Taipei, that sentiment feels tangible every time he visits. “The familiar decor and flavors remind me of home,” he said. “It feels like being back in my hometown. Being able to eat these dishes in Zhengzhou is truly special.”

    For Lan, food has always been the most natural, approachable bridge between people. “Many dishes from Taiwan originated on the mainland and then developed their own unique local character, much like simplified and traditional Chinese characters,” she explained. “Different in form, but the same at heart.”