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?
ASIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT TOM PLATE WRITES — Beijing often complains (sometimes rightly) that U.S. news media fail to report issues of US-China issues and tensions in a fair and cosmopolitan manner. And so the following is a complete transcript of the recent exclusive interview by China television’s CGTN with…
Full Article CHINA REPLIES: ‘WHEN WILL THE U.S. LEARN THE LESSON?’
ALEC FARMER WRITES – How does one explore the complexities of modern China? The answer for many would be to look at trends and statistics. Numbers quantify the largest country in the world from the macro. However, it is easy to forget that these figures represent the real lives of…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: CHINA IN ONE VILLAGE (2021) – HOW TO ENCAPSULATE A COUNTRY
BRIEYA MOORBERG WRITES — The Covid 19 pandemic decreased the mobility of millions of people to shop in person. E-commerce websites have been increasing in popularity ever since, especially the Chinese online fashion store Shein. Founded by China’s Xu Yangtian in 2008, Shein has grown increasingly popular since the beginning…
Full Article CHINA: FAST ONLINE FASHION RACES AHEAD AT DIZZYING SPEED
TESSA MULLER WRITES – The people of Pakistan are paying a steep price for their government’s equivocation in the War on Terror. Pakistan’s role in the War on Terror has long been a complicated one. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan expressed public support for the U.S.-led Coalition…
Full Article PAKISTAN: IS THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS?
ALYSSA MONTALVO WRITES — More than a year has passed since the COVID-19 outbreak shook the world. Thailand, which was successfully keeping infection and death rates low early in the pandemic, is now sinking in an ocean of uncertainty. In Bangkok, citizens are outraged because of the government’s poor handling…
Full Article THAILAND: PROTESTS AGAINST GOVERNMENT VACCINE POLICY CONTINUE TO SURGE
DMITRY KOLESNIKOV WRITES – Russia is getting ready to film the first ever movie in space. On October 5th, 2021 famous Russian actress Yulia Peresild, film producer Klim Shipenko and experienced astronaut Anton Shkaplerov traveled to the International Space Station in pursuit to film the first ever movie in space…
Full Article RUSSIA: BLAST OFF TO FILM THE FIRST MOVIE IN SPACE