Tokyo, Oct 29, 2026 (AFP) - Hello Kitty firm apologises, scraps Japan TV tie-up after China anger

NAMPA / AFP
2026-10-29
Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the popular character Hello Kitty, apologised on Thursday over its tie-up with a TV spy drama criticised as anti-China, cancelling a merchandise collaboration with the show. It comes days after Chinese sponsors dropped football superstar Kylian Mbappe over comments calling communist leader Mao Zedong a "dictator", for which the Real Madrid forward later apologised. In one episode of "Vivant", a drama with a wid......
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SWAKOPMUND, 28 October 2026 - Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) Namibian Surrogate Inspectors Samuel Nengola and Feruschka Himarua explaining what happens at the base of Operations, where each participating country’s surrogate inspector is stationed during the exercise. (Photo by: Isabel Bento) NAMPA

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SWAKOPMUND, 28 October 2026 - CTBTO Scientists and experts arriving back to the base of operations in Swakopmund after a field exercise scenarios on nuclear detection outside of Arandis. (Photo by: Isabel Bento) NAMPA

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