Global Breaking News - Monday, October 12, 2026

The creators of one of the world's most widely-recognized cartoon characters have set the record straight. Japanese toymaker Sanrio have declared that its iconic creation Hello Kitty is not a cat. The bombshell came to light following publicity for an upcoming exhibition on the character at the Japanese American National Museum. The curator of the exhibition, anthropologist Christine R Yano, said she received a mail from Sanrio correcting her script for the show. Ms Yano confirmed that: "Hello Kitty is not a cat. She is a little girl. She is a friend….She's never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature." The Sanrio website states Kitty is "a bright little girl with a heart of gold."
* widely-recognized = 널리 알려진(인정된)/ set ~ straight = ~를 바로잡다/ declare = 분명히 말하다; 선언(공포)하다/ iconic = ~의 상징이 되는, 우상의/ bombshell = 폭탄선언, 몹시 충격적인 일(소식)/ come to light = (사람들에게) 알려지다(밝혀지다)/ publicity = 홍보(광고)/ curator = (박물관, 미술관 등의) 전시 책임자/ anthropologist = 인류학자/ depict = 묘사하다(그리다)/ all fours = (사람의) 수족, 사지; (짐승의) 네 발/ on all fours = 네발로 (기는)/ two-legged = 두 다리/ a heat of gold = 상냥한(용맹심이 있는) 마음(을 가진 사람)

Hello Kitty has taken the world by storm since its introduction in 1974. It has become ubiquitous worldwide, adorning everything from chopsticks to airplanes. The Japanese carmaker Daihatsu even sold a specially branded Hello Kitty car. It had Kitty-emblazoned upholstery, a speedometer with the character's face etched into the glass and a Kitty-shaped gear stick. The creators designed the character's face to epitomize cuteness. Sanrio account for her lack of a mouth, saying she doesn't have one because she speaks with her heart. Social media has been abuzz with the revelation that Kitty is a girl. Rapper Mike Shinoda tweeted: "This is worse than finding out Pluto is not a planet."
* take ~ by storm = (~의 마음)을 단번에 사로잡다, (~에서) 대성공을 거두다/ ubiquitous = 어디에나 있는/ adorn = 꾸미다, 장식하다/ emblazon = (상징, 문구 등을) 선명히 새기다(장식하다)/ upholstery = (소파 등의) 덮개(커버)/speedometer = 속도계/ etch = 뚜렷히 새기다; (유리, 금속 등에) 식각(애칭)하다/ epitomize = 전형적으로 보여주다, 완벽한 보기이다/ account for ~ = ~을 해명하다/ abuzz = 떠들썩한, 윙윙거리는; 활기에 넘치는/ revelation = (비밀 등의) 드러냄, 폭로(된 사실)