UNITED STATES
Down syndrome Barbie made
Toy company Mattel on Tuesday revealed its first Barbie doll representing a person with Down syndrome. Mattel collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to create the Barbie and “ensure the doll accurately represents a person with Down syndrome,” the company said. Design features of the new Barbie were made under guidance from the society, Mattel said. In addition to portraying some physical characteristics of a person with Down syndrome, the Barbie’s clothing and accessories carry special meaning. The blue and yellow on the doll’s dress, accompanied by butterflies, represent symbols and colors associated with Down syndrome awareness, while the three chevrons on the Barbie’s necklace represent how people with Down syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome, Mattel said. In addition, the Barbie wears ankle foot orthotics, which some children with Down syndrome use. “This means so much for our community, who for the first time can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them,” NDSS president and CEO Kandi Pickard said in a statement. “This Barbie serves as a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of representation.”
JAPAN
Eel rice remark sparks furor
The nation’s public safety chief has come under fire for saying that he enjoyed eel rice so much that he kept eating after his agency informed him of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s narrow escape from a pipe bomb attack two weeks ago. Koichi Tani, chair of the National Public Safety Commission for Kishida’s Cabinet, on Tuesday told a governing party gathering that he had the local delicacy in front of him for lunch when the phone rang. “I was told that we can eat delicious unagi [eel] rice bowl there, and I was really looking forward to it,” Tani told party lawmakers. “Just as I was going to dig into it, I got a call from the National Police Agency saying something was thrown at the prime minister in Wakayama, but I fully savored and finished ... my unadon [eel rice bowl],” he said, beaming. Tani’s eel comment immediately sparked criticism and concern at parliament and on social media about Japan’s public safety. During a parliamentary session, some opposition lawmakers demanded Tani’s dismissal. “As head of the National Public Safety Commission, [Tani] lacks a sense of urgency,” said Jun Azumi, an executive of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. “Isn’t this a negative for the prime minister to have such a person as chief executive responsible for Japan’s security?”
BELGIUM
Gull shriek champ crowned
The Belgian coastal town of De Panne on Sunday organized the third European gull screeching championship, where a jury crowned the best imitation of the bird’s distinctive shriek. About 50 participants took part in the contest, including first-timers and returning participants. Each was judged by a jury which awarded 15 points for how well they imitated the gull’s sound and five points for their behavior. Maren, who was named runner-up, said: “So I started practicing and my friends said: ‘Oh that’s so nice, and then they sent me the links of this championship and I thought why not. This is so much fun.’” Gulls are often despised by the public because of their intrusive behaviour and the contest also aims to change their image.
Airlines in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Singapore yesterday canceled flights to and from the Indonesian island of Bali, after a nearby volcano catapulted an ash tower into the sky. Australia’s Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all grounded flights after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island spewed a 9km tower a day earlier. Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, India’s IndiGo and Singapore’s Scoot also listed flights as canceled. “Volcanic ash poses a significant threat to safe operations of the aircraft in the vicinity of volcanic clouds,” AirAsia said as it announced several cancelations. Multiple eruptions from the 1,703m twin-peaked volcano in
A plane bringing Israeli soccer supporters home from Amsterdam landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Friday after a night of violence that Israeli and Dutch officials condemned as “anti-Semitic.” Dutch police said 62 arrests were made in connection with the violence, which erupted after a UEFA Europa League soccer tie between Amsterdam club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Israeli flag carrier El Al said it was sending six planes to the Netherlands to bring the fans home, after the first flight carrying evacuees landed on Friday afternoon, the Israeli Airports Authority said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also ordered
Former US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi said if US President Joe Biden had ended his re-election bid sooner, the Democratic Party could have held a competitive nominating process to choose his replacement. “Had the president gotten out sooner, there may have been other candidates in the race,” Pelosi said in an interview on Thursday published by the New York Times the next day. “The anticipation was that, if the president were to step aside, that there would be an open primary,” she said. Pelosi said she thought the Democratic candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris, “would have done
Farmer Liu Bingyong used to make a tidy profit selling milk but is now leaking cash — hit by a dairy sector crisis that embodies several of China’s economic woes. Milk is not a traditional mainstay of Chinese diets, but the Chinese government has long pushed people to drink more, citing its health benefits. The country has expanded its dairy production capacity and imported vast numbers of cattle in recent years as Beijing pursues food self-sufficiency. However, chronically low consumption has left the market sloshing with unwanted milk — driving down prices and pushing farmers to the brink — while
RSS