MIA MARTIN WRITES – A Japanese artist has pleaded not guilty to obscenity charges for allegedly selling 3D images of her vagina. Megumi Igarashi, 43, doesn’t deny she distributed the material, but in the trial that got underway this week insisted it’s not obscene. Instead, Igarashi, aka Rokudenashiko (“good for…
MICHELLE VARINATA WRITES – Given the fact that Indonesia is one of South Eastern Asia’s largest democracies, a core value in a democratic society is the freedom of speech. While social media provides a platform for people to vent their feelings and share their thoughts, it should not be treated…
MICHELLE VARINATA WRITES – With an affable personality and Obama-like charm, Joko Widodo nonetheless appears to have fallen from grace after a mere 100 days in office. The Indonesian president, called “Jokowi” by his loving supporters, got into trouble over the proposed appointment of a new head of the National…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – The Sewol, a South Korean ferry, started sinking off the coast of South Korea on Wednesday. The government and media tried to keep the nation informed, but their stories aren’t matching up. If this continues, the public’s trust in these groups may sink too. Early reports…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Organizations looking to publicize usually turn to the Internet. But what if you’re the yakuza? Often considered Japan’s version of the Italian mob, the yakuza feels so misunderstood it has turned to the Net to help tell a more nuanced story. The Yamaguchi-gumi, a branch of the…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Through the wonders of social media, communicating with loved ones (and even not-so-loved ones) is now just a few clicks away. But with this power comes great responsibility. Through the ages, parents have warned children not to talk to strangers. But how effective is such advice…
ARACELI PALAFOX WRITES – There’s something fishy about the recent murder of journalist Suon Chon, and it’s not his series of reports on illegal fishing. Earlier this month, The Phnom Penh Post reported the death of the forty-four year old Cambodian, who wrote for The Meakea Kampuchea Newspaper. It said Chon…
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Rumors flew recently after several musicians in North Korea’s Unhasu Orchestra were executed for allegedly making porn. Because those killed reportedly included President Kim Jong-Un’s former girlfriend Hyon Song-wol, North Korea watchers said it may ultimately have tied back to the beloved leader’s current wife, Ri…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – It never occurred to Huang Xixi that selling watermelons would be a business endeavor that could cost her the life of her husband. On July 27, police apprehended six urban management officers who reportedly attacked a married couple selling watermelons. The result left the man dead…
Citizens of Queenslanders, Australia, now have the ability to report lost and damaged property, graffiti, and loitering via a newly developed mobile phone app. Mere hours after issuing their Annual Statistical Review, Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson and Police Minister Jack Dempsey released the PoliceLink app which enables citizens to contact…
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council has asked the Human Rights Commission to perform an investigation into the possible criminal conduct of police officers during a protest last week at the “tent embassy,” the semi-permanent council representing Aboriginal political rights. This request comes…
Forget about the old-fashioned police sketch artist! Student iGeeks come to the rescue. The Bank of the Philippines Islands Department of Science and Technology awarded a student team in St. Louis University (SLU) in Baguio with Best Project of the Year for 2012 in a competition that recognizes the excellence…
