Trump sets refugee ceiling at record-low 7,500 with focus on white South Africans
U.S. President Donald Trump has set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500, the lowest in American history, according to a White...
A restaurant in China’s northern Shanxi province has sparked backlash from animal welfare groups and online critics for allowing diners to hug lion cubs during a four-course tea service. The establishment insists the animals are properly cared for.
While some zoos in countries such as Singapore or Australia do offer dining experiences near animal habitats or at wildlife sights, it is rare for a restaurant to have direct physical interactions with wild animals.
Customers of Wanhui restaurant, which opened in June in Taiyuan city, have posted pictures and videos of themselves on China’s WeChat and Weibo platforms cuddling lion cubs.
The restaurant sells roughly 20 tickets a day to those looking to hug the animals as part of the set menu which costs 1,078 yuan ($150).
The restaurant also features lamas, turtles and deer on its page on Douyin, China’s equivalent to social media app TikTok.
The majority of online reactions expressed criticism, saying the restaurant’s concept is dangerous and not good for the animals.
"This is for the rich to play," said one Weibo user.
"The relevant departments should take care of it," said another user.
"Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys," said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior Vice President Jason Baker.
He also added that the animals were "treated like nothing more than social media props."
Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane World for Animals, said, "Exploiting wild animals for selfies and marketing gimmicks is not only appallingly bad animal welfare, it's also potentially risky for customers."
"Even a young lion is capable of lashing out and injuring a human. So, treating wild animals like props is both morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible."
Last month, Chinese authorities investigated a hotel with a similar concept that offered a 'wake-up service' where red pandas were allowed to climb onto guests' beds, State Media reported.
Nokia announced on Tuesday that chipmaker Nvidia will acquire a $1 billion stake in the company.
Reliable sources have confirmed to AnewZ that the United States has asked Azerbaijan to join a Stabilisation Force in Gaza, as part of a proposed international mission to secure the territory.
Centrist liberal party D66, led by 38-year-old Rob Jetten, has made sweeping gains in the Dutch election, emerging neck and neck with Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in early results — a stunning reversal just two years after D66 ranked sixth.
U.S. President Donald Trump agreed with President Xi Jinping to trim tariffs on China in exchange for Beijing cracking down on the illicit fentanyl trade, Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that the most difficult situation on the front line remains the eastern city of Pokrovsk, where fighting continues to be most intense due to a strong concentration of Russian forces.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday warned that a prolonged government shutdown could cause severe disruptions to air travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday period, urging Democrats to help pass legislation to reopen the government.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and their family members from Mali, citing escalating security risks as al Qaeda-linked insurgents tighten a fuel blockade on the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump has set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2026 at 7,500, the lowest in American history, according to a White House document published on Thursday (October 30). The move is part of a broader effort to reshape global refugee and asylum policies.
A U.S. court has reinstated a $185 million verdict against Bayer’s Monsanto unit over chemical contamination at a Washington state school, reviving a major case involving toxic substances.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight barrage of drones and missiles against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing six people — including a seven-year-old girl — and prompting nationwide power restrictions, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
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