Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Video game competitions should be in Olympics
News, Adam Minter, Published on 30/09/2023
» The hottest sports ticket in the Asia-Pacific right now isn't for a soccer match, an NBA exhibition game or even a swim meet. It's for the medal event debut of competitive video gaming, or esports.
Grindr holds a mirror to China's subtle evolution
News, Adam Minter, Published on 11/09/2018
» Grindr, the world's largest gay social-networking site, told the Shenzhen stock exchange recently that it plans to IPO overseas. Its owner, Beijing Kunlun Technology Co, a games developer, didn't give a date or location. But the announcement revived concern in the gay community locally and worldwide about the app's Chinese ownership.
Solution to chronic marine plastic crisis starts in Asia
News, Adam Minter, Published on 27/06/2018
» Since Jan 1, when China stopped accepting the rich world's recyclable plastic waste, it's gotten a load of criticism for worsening the already deep crisis of ocean plastic pollution. But China isn't the only culprit here. This is a crisis made -- and growing worse -- throughout developing Asia.
Southeast Asia's 'fake news' laws are a fake solution
News, Adam Minter, Published on 26/05/2018
» In the waning days of Malaysia's recent election campaign, then-opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad was investigated under the country's anti-fake news law. Had he been charged and convicted, he could have spent as much as six years in prison. Instead, Dr Mahathir was elected prime minister with a pledge to repeal the law.
Latest Google China bid will end like before
News, Adam Minter, Published on 20/12/2017
» In 2006 the Chinese government allowed Google to establish Google.cn for Chinese internet users. In return, Google agreed to scrub results of content that the government found objectionable. The deal held until 2010, when Google decided it could no longer agree to such terms. Within hours, the site was blocked and Google's search business on the mainland was dead.
China trashes its recycling industry
News, Adam Minter, Published on 10/10/2017
» For 30 years China has recycled more cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and old computers than any other nation. By doing so, it's saved millions of tonnes of resources and indirectly funded thousands of recycling programmes and companies globally. But now it wants to stop. In July, China notified the World Trade Organisation that it will soon prohibit the import of many types of recyclables. As a result, recycling programmes and companies around the world are scrambling to find new destinations for the junk they once sent to China. In an increasing number of cases, that destination is a landfill.
Has China now raised the 'Great Firewall' too high?
News, Adam Minter, Published on 13/07/2017
» Will it be RIP for China's VPNs? On Monday, Bloomberg News reported that the Chinese government had ordered telecommunications providers to block access to individual virtual private networks by Feb 1. VPNs are popular and widely utilised services that allow internet users to bypass web restrictions. In effect, the new rules would block the most popular means for Chinese netizens to see beyond the so-called "Great Firewall".
Used to Big Brother, Chinese learn value of privacy
News, Adam Minter, Published on 21/03/2017
» China's Communist government has never shown much concern for the privacy of Chinese citizens. If you have something to hide, the thinking goes, we probably need to know it. In one form or another, surveillance and monitoring have evolved into a well-honed form of social control. And as a result, neither companies nor consumers have traditionally had very high expectations for individual privacy.
Why people still live, and die, on rubbish dumps
News, Adam Minter, Published on 17/03/2017
» When a mountain of trash collapsed at the fetid Reppi dump outside of Addis Ababa on Monday, at least 82 people died. It could've been worse: Hundreds of people live atop Reppi, Ethiopia's biggest waste dump, trying to make a living from salvaging what city residents throw away. Despite well-known dangers, and the best efforts of the government, they've done so for decades.
KL has plenty of reasons to test Kim
News, Adam Minter, Published on 09/03/2017
» It didn't take long for Malaysia to retaliate against North Korea for barring its citizens from leaving the country on Tuesday. Within hours, a security cordon had surrounded North Korea's Malaysian embassy to prevent diplomatic staff from leaving. The response may not be legal under international law, but it's certainly understandable. North Korea is not only accused of sponsoring an assassination in Malaysia's busiest airport, using a banned nerve agent. It's since taunted and bullied Malaysian officials attempting to investigate the crime.