SABRINA VERDUZCO WRITES – In recent months, relations between North and South Korea have consisted of artillery fire exchanges and confrontations. Tension has abated to a certain extent since then – thanks to Red Cross officials that no doubt mediated the talks from both sides of the North-South spectrum. As…
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – Vietnamese journalist Ha Huy Hoang was arrested and convicted on the grounds of being an alleged spy for China earlier this month. Hoang, who worked for a Foreign Ministry-affiliated publication, will serve a six-year jail term. Hoang’s lawyer, Ha Huy Son, revealed that “[Hoang] was found guilty…
THE FOLLOWING COLUMN BY ASIA MEDIA FOUNDER TOM PLATE COMES TO US COURTESY OF THE KHALEEJ TIMES NEWSPAPER IN DUBAI, WHERE IT FIRST APPEARED: You may have noticed that yet another one of those allegedly authoritative Top 100 rankings of world universities has managed to cut into all the heart-warming…
EMILY ROCHA WRITES: During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in late Sept., forty-four writers from the PEN American center spoiled the dinner party with a demand for the release of Chinese journalists and writers who are state captives for nothing more criminally offensive than…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Since the end of World War II, Japan has successfully avoided war as a way to settle international conflicts. The country’s constitution intentionally promotes peace by de-emphasizing its military. That may no longer work. Early Saturday morning, September 19, the upper house of Japan’s parliament passed…
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – In the past year, livestreaming has become a hot trend in pop culture. The ability for fans to watch their favorite singers and bands talk and answer questions in realtime is obviously appealing. But while it can create positive interactions between artists and fans, it can…
PEYTON CROSS WRITES – With its attractive cityscapes and strong economy, Saudi Arabia can give the impression of being an advanced desert nation. Then it announces plans to crucify and behead a young political dissident, and the world goes, Hmmmm. Priya Joshi of the International Business Times reports that on September 7,…
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Way to rain on the parade, Chito Narvasa! Invited to speak at an awards dinner for journalists covering Philippines basketball, the new b-ball commissioner chose to dress down reporters, warning them to practice “responsible journalism” or else. It seems Narvasa wanted to ensure that all Philippine…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – Qatar reinforced their cybercrime law when the government approved an amendment that criminalizes photographing those who are injured or killed in accidents and posting them on social media. The amendment was added to the 2004 penal law code, and according to the state-run organization Qatar News agency, it…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – In early September, as if the international community needed to be reminded about the alleged capabilities of the North Korean armed forces, the country said that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear attack against (big shocker) the United States and “other hostile forces” for…
TRISTAN WILLENBURG WRITES – Since 2011, the conflict in Syria has caused a massive refugee exodus. A large majority are now located in the countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Recently, several European countries have begun to allow Syrian refugees into their borders. While these are promising steps, they have also opened…
TOM PLATE WRITES: The long march of the American campaign that ends in the crowning of our new president is well underway, as you have noticed. But I am not sure the great Chinese people should be allowed to watch. Former top U.S. national-security official Zbigniew Brzezinski, who, at a…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Every summer, North Korea makes it known that they vehemently oppose the annual military exercises held by South Korea and the United States. This time, however, tensions may run slightly higher than they usually do during this time of the year. Last Monday, the armed forces…
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES – One could say that Al Qaeda is the grumpy old man to the Islamic State’s (ISIS) younger, vibrant, and more energetic twenty-something year old. Their success in recruiting is due to members being greatly familiar with modern technology and excelling at the use of social media.…
TOM PLATE WRITES (courtesy of the South China Morning Post): China, it seems, cannot win for losing. Exports-predator China is always ‘beating us’, bombastic billionaire businessman Donald Trump declaimed yet again on the campaign trail. But his timing on this point could have been better as last week was not…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Big occasions call for speeches that will be remembered for decades. Unfortunately, for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered one that disappointed many. Both China and South Korea wait anxiously every time the Prime Minister is…
