Global Pulse

分类： society

  • China bans storing cremated remains in empty ‘bone ash apartments’

    China bans storing cremated remains in empty ‘bone ash apartments’

    Chinese authorities have enacted legislation prohibiting the unconventional practice of storing cremated remains in residential apartments, a phenomenon known as ‘bone ash apartments.’ This trend emerged as a creative response to exorbitant cemetery costs and scarce burial space. The new law explicitly bans using residential properties ‘specifically for the placement of ashes’ and prohibits burials outside designated cemeteries or legally approved ecological burial zones.

    These unique memorial spaces typically involve converting empty apartments into ritual halls where urns are displayed and ancestral shrines are established. Reports from Chinese media indicate these properties are often identifiable by perpetually closed curtains or sealed windows.

    The practice gained traction due to China’s significant property market decline, with prices falling approximately 40% between 2021 and 2025, making apartment memorials more financially accessible than traditional burials. By contrast, cemetery plots in Beijing’s Changping Tianshou Cemetery range from 10,000 yuan (£1,095) for eco-friendly options to 300,000 yuan (£32,841) for standard tombstone plots, with leases requiring renewal every two decades.

    The regulatory change comes just before the Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day), when families traditionally honor ancestors. Simultaneously, the State Administration for Market Regulation and Ministry of Civil Affairs announced new requirements for the funeral industry, addressing transparency issues and fraudulent practices to alleviate the financial burden on citizens. A 2020 survey by British insurance firm SunLife revealed funeral costs approaching half of China’s average annual salary, highlighting the economic pressure driving unconventional practices.

    Social media reactions reflect public concern, with Weibo users questioning enforcement mechanisms and noting that affordable alternatives would naturally discourage apartment memorials. One commentator asked: ‘How will authorities distinguish between regular residences and those storing ashes?’ demonstrating implementation challenges facing the new prohibition.

  • Inside a San Francisco shop keeping the fortune cookie alive

    Inside a San Francisco shop keeping the fortune cookie alive

    In a narrow San Francisco alleyway, the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory stands as a living monument to an American culinary tradition with unexpected origins. While synonymous with Chinese cuisine in the United States, fortune cookies actually trace their lineage to Japanese-style crackers brought by immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to historical records. Following World War II, Chinese American entrepreneurs adopted and popularized them nationwide, transforming the treats into cultural icons.

    Kevin Chan, the factory’s owner, presides over an operation that produces up to 10,000 cookies daily while maintaining traditional handcrafting methods largely abandoned by mass producers. Workers skillfully fold warm wafers fresh from vintage machines, inserting personalized messages before shaping them into their distinctive crescent form. The shop offers various flavors and decorated varieties, but its true value lies in its preservation of artisanal techniques.

    Beyond production, the factory serves as an informal cultural museum. Ceramic deities, laughing Buddhas, and weathered figurines share space with historical photographs, awards, and mementos collected over six decades of operation. The establishment’s weathered gold sign and traditional Chinese architectural elements create a portal to another time in a neighborhood transformed by modernization.

    Chan views his work as both cultural stewardship and personal meditation. ‘Fortune cookies are not just cookies,’ he reflects. ‘They represent Chinese-American ingenuity and perseverance.’ His pride stems from perfecting and globalizing what began as an American invention, creating something that now universally symbolizes Chinese dining culture.

    The factory’s significance extends beyond preservation. Customers worldwide visit for custom cookies containing personal messages or even engagement rings, creating romantic moments and family traditions. For many Americans like Stephanie Froebel from Buffalo, the ritual of sharing fortunes represents childhood memories and family bonding. International visitors from Brazil to Cuba recognize the cookies as both Chinese cultural symbols and global phenomena.

    Chan hopes to pass his legacy to future generations, ensuring that handcrafted fortune cookies remain accessible in an automated world. His small shop continues to draw diverse crowds, serving as both production facility and cultural crossroads where strangers become friends through shared appreciation for this quirky yet enduring American tradition.

  • Searching for dignified model of ‘being there’

    Searching for dignified model of ‘being there’

    The global rise of Alzheimer’s disease presents profound challenges for aging populations, with the United States and China developing fundamentally different care paradigms rooted in their distinct healthcare infrastructures and cultural values. This divergence reflects deeper societal beliefs about responsibility, dignity, and the very nature of caregiving.

    American dementia care operates primarily through institutional frameworks where professional caregivers, specialized memory-care facilities, insurance systems, and legal protocols structure patient support. This model distributes responsibility through formal arrangements, enabling family members to maintain decision-making roles while reducing their direct hands-on care burden. The system prioritizes safety, efficiency, and liability management within regulated environments.

    Conversely, China’s approach remains predominantly family-centered, with adult children or elderly spouses providing most daily care within home settings. This tradition stems from deeply embedded cultural expectations rather than mere resource limitations. Medical sociologist Jing Jun of Tsinghua University notes this represents contrasting moral assumptions about where caregiving responsibility rightfully belongs.

    The American framework conceptualizes care as a professional service delivered by trained specialists, where families typically experience minimal social condemnation for utilizing institutional support. Chinese society, however, views care as an inherent kinship obligation, where nursing home placement often carries moral stigma associated with abandonment or unfilial conduct.

    Professor Jing observes that traditional filial piety concepts now face intense pressure from demographic shifts and medicalization trends. As medical technologies advance, families increasingly face difficult decisions about invasive interventions, where treatment refusal becomes emotionally synonymous with care abandonment.

    Dignity perceptions further differentiate these models. American care emphasizes autonomy and risk avoidance, sometimes at the expense of spontaneity and familiarity. Chinese care prioritizes relational presence and continuous familial engagement.

    Gerontology scholar Yin Shushan from Peking University identifies hidden costs in both systems: “The US approach reduces family burden but may distance care from daily life, while Chinese families preserve intimacy often at the expense of caregivers’ wellbeing.”

    Experts caution against wholesale adoption of Western institutional models in China’s rapid aging context, noting that large-scale facilities might erode relational care foundations while romanticizing family sacrifice ignores practical limitations like smaller households and geographic mobility.

    The future of Chinese dementia care, researchers suggest, depends on developing supportive institutions that complement rather than replace families—through caregiver training, community services, and cultural reframing that recognizes comfort-focused care as equally ethical as medical intervention.

  • Wolf bites woman in a shopping area in Germany’s 2nd-biggest city

    Wolf bites woman in a shopping area in Germany’s 2nd-biggest city

    In an unprecedented incident that has captured national attention, a wolf attacked a woman in Hamburg’s commercial district near Altona station before being subsequently retrieved from the city’s Binnenalster lake. The event, which occurred on Monday evening, represents the first documented wolf attack on a human since the species’ reintroduction to Germany nearly three decades ago.

    According to Hamburg authorities, emergency services transported the injured woman to a local medical facility following the unusual confrontation. While specific details regarding her condition and the precise nature of her injuries remain undisclosed, the incident has prompted significant concern among wildlife experts and urban planners alike.

    The wolf, believed to be the same specimen sighted previously in the suburban Blankenese area over the weekend, was extracted from the urban waterway by police officers responding to multiple public reports. Wildlife specialists hypothesize that the animal was likely a young wolf displaced from its natural habitat while searching for territorial boundaries, inadvertently venturing into the metropolitan environment.

    Hamburg’s regional government emphasized that wolf behavior typically involves avoiding human interaction, suggesting the high-stress urban setting may have contributed to the anomalous attack. The animal has since been relocated to a secured enclosure on the city’s outskirts for further observation and assessment.

    This incident occurs against a backdrop of evolving wildlife management policies across Europe. Recently, the German parliament enacted legislation facilitating the controlled hunting of wolves responsible for livestock predation, reflecting growing tensions between conservation efforts and agricultural interests. The European Parliament similarly voted last year to reclassify wolves from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’ status in response to increasing concerns from farming communities.

  • With Spielberg’s help, a 101-year-old Auschwitz survivor has become a mighty warrior against hate

    With Spielberg’s help, a 101-year-old Auschwitz survivor has become a mighty warrior against hate

    SAINT-MAUR-DES-FOSSÉS, France — For decades after surviving the unimaginable horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ginette Kolinka maintained a protective silence about her experiences. The 101-year-old French Holocaust survivor would deflect inquiries with a stark response: “If I had a child, well, I would prefer to strangle them with my own hands than make them go through what I went through.”

    Now, in the remarkable twilight of her life, Kolinka has transformed from a reluctant witness into one of France’s most powerful voices against antisemitism. With an easy smile that belies her traumatic past, she has dedicated her remaining years to ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust remain vivid for new generations.

    The turning point came thirty years ago, sparked by Steven Spielberg’s seminal film “Schindler’s List” and the subsequent establishment of his foundation dedicated to collecting survivor testimonies. Initially reticent, Kolinka eventually agreed to be interviewed in 1997—an emotional three-hour session that unlocked decades of buried memories, including the survivor’s guilt that tormented her and the eternal regret of never getting to properly say goodbye to her father and 12-year-old brother before they were sent to the gas chambers.

    France’s historical context adds profound weight to Kolinka’s testimony. During World War II, Nazi-occupied France deported 76,000 Jewish men, women and children, mostly to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Only 2,500 survived. It took fifty years for French leadership to officially acknowledge the state’s involvement in the Holocaust, with then-President Jacques Chirac describing French complicity as “an indelible stain on the nation” in 1995.

    Today, as one of perhaps fewer than thirty remaining French survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau according to the Paris-based Union of Auschwitz Deportees, Kolinka has embraced her role as a living historical archive. Through her memoir “Return to Birkenau,” countless media appearances, and regular school visits, she brings raw, firsthand authenticity to Holocaust education.

    During a recent visit to Marcelin Berthelot high school east of Paris, students listened in pin-drop silence as Kolinka recounted her arrest in March 1944, the three-day journey in windowless animal transport wagons, and the brutal reception at Auschwitz where she learned her first German word: “Schnell!” (Move it!). She described the profound humiliation of forced nudity and revealed the tattooed identification number—78599—that remains on her forearm.

    Despite the horrors she recounts, Kolinka maintains a remarkable generosity of spirit. She spares young audiences some of the most graphic details, focusing instead on the importance of remembrance. After her talks, students often surround her with rock-star admiration, describing her as “extraordinary” and “an amazing woman” whose mental fortitude inspires them.

    As 17-year-old Nour Benguella reflected after one session: “Keeping this history alive is the only thing that will permit us to not make the same mistakes.” Through her testimony, Kolinka ensures that the world cannot claim ignorance about the death camps and the systematic extermination of six million European Jews—transforming personal trauma into a powerful weapon against hatred.

  • Strict rules for kindergarten food planned

    Strict rules for kindergarten food planned

    Chinese authorities have introduced a comprehensive draft regulation to fundamentally transform food safety protocols in the nation’s kindergartens, responding to a series of alarming contamination incidents that affected hundreds of children. The State Administration for Market Regulation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has proposed a multi-layered oversight system that represents one of the most stringent kindergarten food safety frameworks globally.

    The regulatory overhaul establishes a principal responsibility system that holds kindergarten administrators directly accountable for food safety outcomes. The framework implements three-tiered inspection mechanisms requiring daily checks, weekly risk assessments, and monthly comprehensive reviews, with all documentation subject to regulatory audit. This systematic approach aims to create an integrated risk-prevention ecosystem spanning the entire food supply chain.

    The initiative comes against the backdrop of disturbing incidents that prompted public outcry. In July 2025, over 200 children at a Gansu province kindergarten were found with dangerously elevated blood lead levels—traced to industrial pigments added to enhance food appearance, with some samples exceeding safety limits by 2,000 times. Another October 2024 case in Xi’an saw 48 children contract norovirus amid serious hygiene violations at an unlicensed facility.

    Key provisions include a definitive ‘negative list’ prohibiting high-risk items such as nitrites, bulk cooking oils, unpasteurized salt, cold meats, and potentially toxic ingredients including green beans, wild mushrooms, and sprouted potatoes. The regulation mandates ‘smart kitchen’ implementations with continuous video monitoring covering all food handling stages—from ingredient reception and storage to preparation, distribution, and consumption.

    A distinctive requirement establishes a mandatory meal accompaniment system where kindergarten principals or designated officials must share meals with children while maintaining detailed records. The regulation further stipulates strict two-hour consumption windows after preparation and mandates specialized sealed equipment for food transportation, followed by rigorous cleaning protocols.

    Concurrently, four central government institutions have launched a comprehensive 2026 safety campaign addressing multiple concerns including mental health services, bullying prevention, transportation security, cyber safety, and enhanced emergency response capabilities alongside the food safety enhancements. With 253,300 kindergartens serving approximately 35.84 million children nationwide, these measures represent a significant step toward safeguarding the health of China’s youngest generation.

  • Man charged with attempted murder after alleged violent, bloody stabbing at home in Sydney’s west

    Man charged with attempted murder after alleged violent, bloody stabbing at home in Sydney’s west

    A violent home invasion in Sydney’s western suburbs has resulted in attempted murder charges after a brutal stabbing incident that left two victims fighting for their lives. The alleged attack occurred Monday afternoon on Palm Street in Girraween, triggering an emergency response to reports of multiple stabbing victims.

    Disturbing CCTV footage obtained by news outlets captures the chilling sequence of events, showing a man clad in black approaching the residence’s front door. The footage allegedly shows a household member attempting to defend themselves using a chair as a makeshift barrier against the assailant.

    According to police reports, the confrontation escalated dramatically, resulting in two men—aged 30 and 56—sustaining multiple life-threatening stab wounds to their torsos. Both victims were rushed to hospital in critical condition. A third individual, 37, suffered arm injuries during the violent altercation.

    Law enforcement authorities confirmed that the alleged perpetrator, a 37-year-old man, was arrested on Tuesday and now faces two counts of attempted murder. Police indicate that all parties involved were acquainted with one another, suggesting the violence may have stemmed from a personal dispute rather than a random attack.

    The accused has been denied bail and is scheduled to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday as the investigation continues. The incident has shocked the local community and raised concerns about domestic violence and personal safety in residential areas.

  • Chee ‘Max’ Chong and Angi Liaw: Melbourne couple on trial accused of keeping woman as slave

    Chee ‘Max’ Chong and Angi Liaw: Melbourne couple on trial accused of keeping woman as slave

    A disturbing case of alleged modern-day slavery has unfolded in Melbourne’s County Court, where a married couple stands accused of subjecting a woman to brutal physical abuse and severe living restrictions within their suburban residence. Chee Kit ‘Max’ Chong and Angi Yeh Ling Liaw have pleaded not guilty to slavery-related charges following accusations they held a 61-year-old woman in servitude for nine months in 2022.

    According to prosecutor Shaun Ginsbourg SC, the Malaysian-born couple allegedly employed beatings, sleep deprivation, and food restrictions as punishment mechanisms against the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The court heard how the victim’s circumstances dramatically deteriorated after initially developing a mother-son relationship with Mr. Chong in Malaysia dating back to 2015.

    The prosecution outlined a pattern of financial exploitation beginning in Malaysia, where the woman—formerly a pastor at Mr. Chong’s church—reportedly provided substantial financial support to the defendant, including funds obtained from her family and congregation members. This financial dynamic continued after the couple relocated to Melbourne in 2017 and invited the woman to join them.

    The situation allegedly turned exploitative in early 2022 when the woman moved into the couple’s Point Cook home to assist with their newborn child. Prosecutors claim Mr. Chong subsequently fabricated credit card issues and demanded she work off supposed debts, transforming her role from helper to captive.

    The woman, who has since died from unrelated causes, described her status as: “He’s a master, I’m a maid. I’m a helper only.” Court documents detail how she was forced to perform domestic chores including cooking, cleaning, and massaging Mr. Chong’s legs, while allegedly being deprived of proper sleeping arrangements—relegated to stairs or the garage—and having her movements and communications severely restricted.

    The case reached crisis point on October 7, 2022, when the woman escaped and presented at St Vincent’s Hospital with extensive injuries including severe ear swelling, foot lacerations, leg inflammation, and signs of malnutrition. Medical staff alerted federal police after hearing allegations of systematic abuse and threats involving immigration authorities.

    Defense attorneys for the couple presented contrasting narratives, describing the woman as a willingly accommodated homeless person whom they supported financially. Barrister Diana Price questioned whether the woman’s household contributions exceeded normal family dynamics, while Daniel Gurvich KC representing Ms. Liaw argued insufficient evidence existed to prove intentional involvement in slavery offenses.

    The trial before Judge Michael Cahill is anticipated to extend over several weeks as jurors assess conflicting accounts regarding one of Melbourne’s most severe alleged modern slavery cases.

  • ABC issue new pay offer after historic walkout

    ABC issue new pay offer after historic walkout

    In a significant development following the first major industrial action in two decades, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has presented a revised remuneration package to its workforce. This move comes precisely one week after approximately 2,000 employees staged a 24-hour walkout, creating substantial disruptions to regular broadcasting schedules.

    The unprecedented labor action emerged from stalled negotiations concerning compensation structures, working conditions, and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies within the national broadcaster. The breakdown in discussions prompted ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks to convene emergency meetings with representatives from both the Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance and the Community and Public Sector Union under the mediation of the Fair Work Commission.

    The newly proposed agreement, unveiled on Tuesday, outlines a comprehensive compensation package featuring a 4% salary increase in the initial year, followed by 3.25% increments in both subsequent years. Notably, the offer includes retroactive payments effective from the first full pay period following October 1, 2025. Beyond monetary adjustments, the proposal establishes clearer career progression mechanisms between pay grades, introduces performance-based incentive bonuses, preserves existing promotion protocols, and enhances leave benefits.

    The industrial action last week resulted in widespread programming alterations, with the ABC’s 24-hour news channel unexpectedly airing BBC content instead of its customary domestic coverage. This disruption underscored the critical nature of the labor dispute, which had intensified after unions dismissed an earlier proposal deemed insufficient in addressing job security concerns and compensation requirements.

    Union representatives will now commence consultation processes with their membership bases to determine whether the revised terms meet their collective expectations. The outcome of these deliberations will ultimately decide whether the proposed agreement receives endorsement or whether further industrial measures might be contemplated.

  • ‘Like a horror’: Gross scenes after $2m Sydney home left trashed, cleaners require hazmat suit for work

    ‘Like a horror’: Gross scenes after $2m Sydney home left trashed, cleaners require hazmat suit for work

    A luxury property in Sydney’s affluent Baulkham Hills district has been transformed into a scene of devastation following the eviction of tenants who allegedly avoided property inspections for several months. The $2 million home, located in the city’s northwest, sustained such extensive damage that professional cleaning crews required full hazardous materials protection to address the contamination.

    Visual documentation obtained by 7News reveals unprecedented levels of destruction throughout the residence, with waste and debris rendering the property virtually unrecognizable. Ashleigh Partsch-Isaako, the professional cleaner contracted for the restoration, described the scene as ‘horrific’ and unlike anything previously encountered in her career.

    The severity of the situation necessitated complete protective gear, including hazmat suits and respiratory masks, to shield workers from biological hazards and overpowering odors permeating the residence. The Tasmanian-based property owners have already invested $4,000 in preliminary cleaning efforts, with comprehensive restoration work now pending.

    Leo Patterson Ross, CEO of the Tenants’ Union of NSW, provided contextual analysis regarding rental property investments, noting that many Australians underestimate the associated risks when entering the housing market. He further indicated that the former tenants would likely face significant challenges securing future accommodation due to this incident being recorded on their rental history.

    The case highlights ongoing tensions within Australia’s rental market, where extreme instances of property damage create substantial financial and emotional burdens for property investors while raising questions about tenant screening processes and legal protections for both parties involved in rental agreements.