Two Mainland Chinese Convicted for Involvement in Hong Kong Politics - The disparity between politics of mainland China and Hong Kong reached its peak when two residents of the Guangdong province were sentenced for supporting politics of Hong Kong. On Friday, Mr. Wong was ready to launch a new political party in Hong Kong. Soon after, five men near Guangzhou were advocating for Ms. Wong’s political leanings by holding a banner that reads: “Freedom is Priceless! Support Hong Kong’s Fight for Freedom.” The Guangzhou courtroom decided on four years and six months in prison for “incitement to subvert state power.”

Dean’s Service Scholar Program - For the past week our own students took service trips across five sites in China and abroad. More than 50 scholars explored topics in education, health, infrastructure and more. You can expect to see results in form of a capstone project very soon, so stay tuned!

Fireworks Kill 80 During Hindu New Year Celebration - Fire broke out in a Hindu temple in Indian city of Kollam as a result of an explosion caused by fireworks. Killing at least 80 and leaving 200 injured, the building and the temple collapsed. Authorities estimated that there were more than one thousand people at the entire complex.

India’s New E-Commerce Regulation Hinders Expansion of Amazon - Indian government enforced new rules on ownership and operation of e-commerce companies on its soil. Implemented immediately, Amazon and other large corporations do not have sufficient time to conform to the new law. The new regulation deals with pricing and sourcing of sales. Analysts expect large corporations to appeal to the government for the delay of the enforcement of the regulation as India is a major sales target.

Hedgehog Cafe to Open in Japan - Japan is famous for starting a cat cafe trend around the world. However, the Japanese have moved on to hedgehogs now. Soon you will be able to pay $9 USD to $12 USD to play with around 25 different types of hedgehogs. Let’s see if this trend takes off elsewhere in the world.

Unpredictable Weather Events Said to Bleach Coral Reefs - Marine scientists are in distress due to the impact of climate change on corals around the world. Kim Cobb, a professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, notes that corals are an indispensable part of ocean’s ecosystem.

This article was written by Lana Kugli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Chloe Haddaway