On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. Even today it is not easy to pinpoint what triggered this still ongoing warfare taking a heavy toll on the world’s economy, as both sides offer their versions of the story.

When Shenzhen was named a special economic zone 43 years ago, it was tasked with blazing a trail for a poverty-stricken nation with a broken industrial system. Four years ago this Friday, it was designated as a pilot demonstration zone for socialism with Chinese characteristics — in short, to serve as a model for Chinese modernization.

The Chinese government recently approved the construction of six new nuclear reactors across three provinces, signaling its determination to continue expanding nuclear energy.

The proposed plan for bilingual road signs in New Zealand, featuring both English and the te reo Māori language, has led to intense debates. While intended as an inclusive gesture towards New Zealand’s indigenous Māori community, the plan has sparked controversial division among the population.

Chinese woman writer Su Xiaolan (pen name for Su Shanshan) found herself the initiator of a hot-trending subject on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-style social media, last week after she posted about feeling offended by an encounter with a staffer on the train from Guangzhou to Zhuhai.

After three years of staying put due to the restrictions brought by the pandemic, Chinese parents nationwide are taking their wanderlust-ridden children on tours this summer vacation. Accompanying the crowds are soaring air fares, hotel room rates and “booked out” notices from hot destinations such as the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Frequent high-level interactions serve as significant steps towards a detente between China and the United States. John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy, arrived in Beijing yesterday for a long-awaited trip to restart climate negotiations. He is the third U.S. cabinet member to visit China in recent weeks, as the Biden administration steps up efforts to mend fractured communications and stabilize tense relations with Beijing.

This past Friday, the White House announced U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions to be used against Russian troops.