STEPHANIE GARCIA WRITES – The online vigilante group Anonymous is at it again, with media giant Straits Times as its newest victim. After threatening to wage cyber warfare with the Singapore government in a YouTube video on October 30, the international hacking organization executed attacks, not on the government, but…
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CAMBODIA: Moving Friction Along the Media and Government Fault
ARACELI PALAFOX WRITES – Hashtags let Twitter users teleport between the realm of zombie apocalypses and the fury of angry political protests. All the dishes you can imagine are served at this vast digital buffet. These days, anything can become a trend on Twitter by simply inserting a hash tag before…
BANGLADESH: Spotlight Shifts to Tanneries
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The Bangladeshi garment industry is no stranger to inspection in recent months, but the spotlight is now shifting from cloth to hide. The industry has been under a microscope ever since 1,129 people died earlier this year in the collapse of Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial…
MALAYSIA: Say Goodbye to Human Rights
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Malaysian citizens are watching human rights disappear right before their eyes. Prime Minister Najib Razak and his fellow lawmakers passed new crime-prevention legislation in response to recent organized crime outbreaks. These amendments did not pass without heated debate. In recent months, there have been a number of robberies and high-profile, public…
LEBANON: Apt Apps For Safety?
NICOLE SABA WRITES – What is the easiest way to stay safe? For Lebanese, the answer has just become clear: mobile app warnings. Lebanese people have been encompassed by instability for decades. Now, with war across the border in Syria, it has become even harder to envision what obstacles people…
AFGHANISTAN: Social Media Summit Praises Positive Impact
VITTO BANEZ WRITES – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vine are all social apps used to connect with friends, but Afghanistan says they’re more than that. The country aimed to promote these sites as democratizing tools through a recent summit. “Paiwand,” which translated to English means “connection,” was held on September…
IRAN: President Rouhani’s Public ‘Charm Offensive’
ELODIE INTROIA WRITES – Whether or not the Movement succeeded, it looks like the climate is finally turning green in Iran. According to Thomas Erdbrink of The New York Times, the phone call between President Obama and Hassan Rouhani established the first official diplomatic relation between the US and Iran…
PHILIPPINES: Pageant Goes Swimmingly on Hindu Bali
TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – In the thick of all the chaos of governmental corruption and religious rebellion surrounding the Philippines lately, the nation still stands proudly, accepting recognition as the homeland of the new Miss World. Twenty-three year old world beauty pageant contestant Megan Young gives this breath of life…
MYANMAR: A News Revolution but Social Media Takes the Lead
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-CONTREAU WRITES – It was less than a year ago that Myanmar was celebrating the return of print media, but is seems that social media has already made these sources obsolete. With an increase in freedom and an opening of the trade market, the population in Myanmar has been…
BANGLADESH: Televised Nationwide Quiz – No Cheating!
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – In the hopes of promoting a well rounded education, Bangladesh is turning to the media to showcase its first ever, nation wide quiz. Launched by the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star and the e-learning portal champs21.com, the quiz tested kids from classes VI to X…
Bangladesh: Art in the Slums Honors Working Women
KIARA BRAMASCO WRITES – The hard-working women of Bangladesh were honored recently in an art exhibition just as beautiful as they are, with the added bonus of the art being reusable for housing insulation later! On September 13 a public art exhibition opened in the Korail slum, the largest in…
MALAYSIA: Grammy Nominated Band Denied Concert by Malaysian Government
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Malaysian officials won’t take any risks with Western bands bashing Allah and the Quran. The Communications and Multimedia Ministry has denied Lamb of God, a U.S.-based heavy metal band, a permit to perform in Kuala Lampur. Tour promoter Livescape Asia had scheduled a concert featuring the Grammy-nominated band…
LOS ANGELES: Influential Newsletter Features ‘In the Middle of the Future’
The influential newsletter of the Pacific Century Institute, just published, features a story on the upcoming book “In the Middle of the Future: Tom Plate on Asia.” Written by the founder and editor in chief of The New Asia Media, the book is a sweeping review of the last two…
CHINA: ‘Conversations with Ban Ki-Moon’ Published in Chinese
Popular Holdings, the Southeast Asian based publishing group, has announced the publication of ‘Conversations with Ban Ki-moon’ in simplified Chinese for Mainland marketing. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spent many hours in confidential conversation with American journalist Tom Plate to produce a serious inside look at the United Nations from…
MYANMAR: Hackers Gonna Hack
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-COINTREAU WRITES – In the past few weeks, a group of cyber hackers has made a name for itself across the world. The Myanmar Muslim Cyber Force (MMCF), has been multiplying its attacks, as its Facebook page boastfully confesses. The group refers to its actions as “targeting all racist…
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban Strike but was it a Big Deal?
VITTO BANEZ WRITES – A U.S. airfield was under attack! Late in the night of October 13, Taliban fighters launched several missiles in Bagram, an airfield north of the capital of Kabul. It’s still uncertain on how much of an impact the attack made. Reports on its effectiveness varied. A Taliban…