DEREK GARCIA WRITES — Star Wars’ ‘Visions’ was a great TV series that pushed the boundaries of the ‘Star Wars’ franchise and animation, but why didn’t it get more buzz? Well, Disney severely hurt and possibly killed its potential due to its method of release management. Let’s begin with what,…
Full Article ANIME: DISNEY’S NEW ‘STAR WARS’ SERIES HAS CRASHED ON EARTH
LAUREN CRAVEN WRITES — In the US, we have Halloween. Then there is the Day of the Dead, which originated in Mexico. In Japan every year, the Obon festival is celebrated in most regions from the 13th to the 15th day of August. It’s an incredibly popular event in Japan,…
Full Article JAPAN: WHO NEEDS HALLOWEEN WHEN YOU HAVE OBAKE?
AIDAN SMITH-FAGAN WRITES — After 20 years of war, the Biden administration finally ended the US presence in Afghanistan. And by the end of this year, the US role in Iraq – the second of the America’s 9/11 wars- will be reduced as well. Last July, President Biden announced that…
Full Article UNITED STATES: AS AMERICA ENDS COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ, WILL BIDEN MOVE TO A FULL MIDDLE EAST WITHDRAWAL?
NATALIA FALCHI WRITES — Months of energy shortages and power cuts to households in northeastern China have caused outages in factories across the nation. With this, while energy demand is soaring, so is the demand for Chinese exports, all of which affect the supply chain. The situation is expected to…
Full Article CHINA: WILL AMERICA’S ‘BEAT BACK’ ACT PUSH FORWARD OUR SUPPLY CHAIN?
AHMAD ALSADHAN WRITES — For a long time, Kuwait’s economy has been dependent on its abundant oil reserves. Once a poor country by the Arabian Gulf, oil has played an integral role in its development. Although this strategy worked during the previous century, is it sustainable? Maybe not. Kuwait’s dependence…
Full Article KUWAIT: CAN LESS RELIANCE ON OIL LEAD TO A MORE PRODUCTIVE TOMORROW?
BENJAMIN BARRETT WRITES – Although vaccine manufacture and distribution continue rolling out globally, it is important, still, to research treatment options for people who already have COVID-19. One option that has come to light recently is Molnupiravir. Molnupiravir is a drug created by the pharmaceutical company Merck. Essentially, Molnupiravir is…
Full Article COVID-19: MOLNUPIRAVIR IS MAKING ITS WAY TO ASIA…WE HOPE
JONAH AGLUBAT WRITES — On October 3, a bloody clash ensued at a farmers’ protest in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh that resulted in 8 deaths. Police are currently investigating the incident that is layered with controversy. Farmers on one side say that a convoy led by Ajay…
Full Article INDIA: WHERE AGRICULTURAL REFORM HURTS ‘THE LITTLE GUY’
KAMRAN ALISHOV WRITES-The United Nations Security Council announced an emergency meeting following North Korea’s latest missile launch. On October 19th, North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile into waters off the coast of Japan. The information was immediately confirmed by South Korea’s military. At around 10:17 am, South Korea’s Joint…
Full Article NORTH KOREA: THE BLAST HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
HEIDI SCHUBERT WRITES — A new Netflix series called “Squid Game” is a popular, ultraviolent drama in which people take part in a fatal game derived from traditional children’s activities. In doing so, it provides a window into how South Korean people might behave towards one another and what they’ll…
Full Article SOUTH KOREA: NETFLIX’S ‘SQUID GAME’ WILL MAKE YOU SQUIRM
BRIANNA HIRAMI WRITES – If you thought that your long-distance relationship was difficult, just imagine being on opposite sides of the universe and the only form of communication with your significant other are letters that fail to deliver 90% of the time. Kim Bo-Young writes four short tales in I’m…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: I’M WAITING FOR YOU AND OTHER STORIES BY KIM BO-YOUNG
ISABELLA LEE WRITES — China has been on the rise for the last several decades both in economic and political power. Other countries with shared interests have been trying to conceptualize foreign policy initiatives that can both contain and maintain their relationship with China while preserving their own interests. Recently…
Full Article AMERICA: HOW THE FREE AND OPEN PACIFIC SHAPED U.S. FOREIGN POLICY UNDER DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS
BADER ZAINAL WRITES — On April 20, Farah Hamza Akbar was killed in broad daylight after turning down the marriage proposal of the perpetrator. In another tragic killing, Fatima Al Ajmi was shot dead by her brother, who felt hate and anger because she had married someone outside of their…
Full Article KUWAIT: A WOMEN’S MOVEMENT ARISES FROM THE ASHES OF MALE VIOLENCE
MILES WHITTINGHAM WRITES — Prior to the 2021 MLB season, Angels fans just wanted to see their star Shohei Ohtani stay healthy and produce what he could. But no one expected him to do what hadn’t been done in centuries. The Angels’ highly regarded two-way player has been the subject…
Full Article SHOHEI OHTANI: A ONE-TIME LONGSHOT PLAYER MAKES HISTORY
JARED SIVILA WRITES — For many Filipino households, Manny Pacquiao’s fights in the boxing ring were an excuse for celebrations and parties as big as Christmas or Thanksgiving. During his prime, Manny Pacquiao consistently drew an overwhelming audience to watch his finesse and expertise within the ring. The legendary fighter…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: CAN RETIRED BOXER MANNY PACQUIAO FIGHT HIS WAY INTO POLITICS?
ANGELINE KEK WRITES — Time — the blanket that softly but entirely enshrouds all sensations, memories, and beings. It is pointless to write about time, that’s the intellectual equivalent of shouting into an endless void. Undeniably, to be aware of one’s existence is to learn to be comfortable with time…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: THE BEGINNING OF WATER (2021) BY TRAN LE KHANH
AIDAN SMITH-FAGAN WRITES – Balance is tough for any action film to get right, especially in franchises known for their blockbuster effects and grand set pieces. Too easily, action flicks can fall into the trap of having so many fists flying, guns firing, and cars doing backflips that it all…
Full Article ‘NO TIME TO DIE’ REVIEW: DOES FUKUNAGA STICK THE LANDING FOR CRAIG’S FINAL FILM?