Following the pair of natural disasters and resulting nuclear disaster that ravaged Japan last year, the nation is still making efforts to rebuild the affected areas. On March 9th, Yoshihiko Noda, the Prime Minister of Japan, appeared in an ad on the Washington Post’s online edition, vowing to continue…
Month: March 2012
SINGAPORE: Magazine pulled Off Shelves for Anti-Christian Content
The March issue of FHM Singapore, a monthly magazine targeted towards men, has been pulled off the shelves for containing two articles deemed offensive to Christianity. One of which, titled “Which of These Celebs Might Secretly Be Jesus?”, “evaluates“ the possibility that celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber…
AUSTRALIA: Erotic eBook Excites International Markets
International acclaim for the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E. L. James and published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, has landed the book on The New York Times Best seller list. There has also been a $1 million dollar sale to the publisher Random House, according to recent reports by…
BANGLADESH: Newspaper Campaigns for Open Election
The capital of Bangladesh is “virtually under siege”. The Daily Star reported earlier this month that in an attempt to prevent opposition activists and supporters of the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) from attending the BNP’s rally, the government shut down all railroads and water ways leading to Dhaka, the capital…
THAILAND: Offering the Tourist a Warm Techie Hug
The Thai National Science and Technology Development Agency’s (NSTDA) goals are to support research in science and technology and their applications in the Thai economy. To promote this goal, the NSTDA, in unison with Samart Corporation, launched the Samart Innovation Awards under the theme of Tourism Software Development. The so-called…
QATAR: Journalism Students Fight Obesity—Fat Chance?
Journalism students at Northwestern University, Qatar, have created a website to combat the alarming rate of obesity plaguing the country, as well as the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The website, Sweet Epidemic (http://qatarsweetepidemic.org), aims to raise awareness of the cause of obesity, using a mix of media…
MALAYSIA: Orchestrating a Movement to Aid Struggling Artists
Malaysia’s lively urban culture is well-known throughout Asia for its enthusiasm for music. This June 1st through 3rd, a concert will take place for the cause of promoting veteran musicians. Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah, 64, better known as DJ Dave, is a veteran entertainer in Malaysia who is hoping to…
SOUTH KOREA: Korean Film of Japanese Novel Hits Home Run
South Korean director Byeon Young-joo is well-known for socially-critical films. Her latest, Helpless, is based on Japanese writer Miyuki Miyabe’s 1996 novel of the same name. The story addresses the “ills of contemporary society,” such as private loans, bankruptcy, and credit ratings – all of which are still relevant issues…
CHINA BLOG BLOTTER: Netizens Noodle Around Obama
Chinese Netizens are blocked from using Facebook. What else is new? But now there is another (albeit less popular) American social networking website that the Great Firewall does not block: Google+. Ever since February 20, 2012, the Chinese government lifted its censorship of Google+. Ever since, Chinese Netizens have been…
PARAMODELING IN HANOI
PARAMODELING IN HANOI
PARAMODELING IN HANOI
PAKISTAN: One Meeting, Two Newspapers, Multiple Versions
Earlier this month the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, chaired a meeting for the heads of all allies of his political party, the Pakistan People’s Party. People may be left with two different impressions of how the meeting actually went depending on which Pakistani newspaper they read the following…
CHINA: Newspaper’s Spin on Policy Unconvincing
Last month the United Nation Security Council took up a resolution that called for the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, to step down. As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, China voted against it, along with Russia. China remains adamant in its decision despite the outcry from…
SOUTH KOREA: Journalists War on Management Suck-Ups
Journalists from the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), South Korea’s largest television network, are now on strike, joining news reporters from Munhwa Broadcasting System (MBC) who began their strike about a month ago. About 650 KBS staff members, including 250 reporters, joined the strike as part of a widening protest for journalistic reform. KBS…
INDIA: Sinful Irreverence?
The Anand Police Department has recently received complaints from Gujarat Christians. And no wonder. The uproar is targeting a monthly Catholic community magazine for its inclusion of a small black and white image of Jesus Christ holding a beer can in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It…