December 2016
The 50 best TV shows of 2016: No 5 The Night Of Guardian
Saudi Royal Family Is Still Spending in an Age of Austerity New York Times
Obama’s passing shot at Netanyahu is a futile gesture Guardian
Which VPN Services Take Your Anonymity Seriously? 2016 Edition Torrentfreak
Hong Kong, where history has become a battleground for Beijing Guardian
The Perfect Weapon: How Russian Cyberpower Invaded the U.S. NYT
The First Christmas in Space: An Apollo 8 Holiday History space.com
Dismiss thriving desert hub Dubai at your peril SCMP
Etihad Airways Cuts Jobs to Reduce Costs as Growth Slows Bloomberg
Dorothea Lange’s Censored Photographs of FDR’s Japanese Concentration Camps Anchor Editions
Every computer is a crime scene Bangkok Post
The lessons from Aleppo’s tragic fate Economist
Trump’s Team of Rivals, Riven by Distrust Foreign Policy
Thai Lawmakers Approve Tighter Control of Internet NYT
We Visited the Place the World Has Forgotten NYT
Olin College (where Alex is studying) has been in the news recently: a few links here:
Is Design Thinking the New Liberal Arts? WSJ
Reengineering HigherEd: Student-Centered Learning at Olin College GettingSmart.com
Making “The Olin Effect” Your Own Modern Learning
What Is America Without Influence? Trump Will Find Out NYT
The Problem With Obama’s Faith in White America The Atlantic
My President was Black The Atlantic
Aleppo Is Falling The Atlantic
The Fall of Hong Kong: 75 years since Japan took the city Hong Kong Free Press
China’s Airlines Trump U.S. Rivals on Pacific Routes WSJ
They Are Slaughtering Us Like Animals’ NYT
Lessons of the Arab Spring for Muslim Southeast Asia New Mandala
Singapore’s ‘silver tsunami’: how the city-state depends on its elderly workforce The Guardian
Eerie but beautiful: The UAE’s changing landscape in winter – in pictures The National
The Rage of 2016 NYT
The unbearable sadness of being Taiwan, a liberal island other democracies refuse to talk to Quartz
The End of the Anglo-American Order New York Times
China’s Great Leap Backward The Atlantic
Ritual and the demise of Thai democracy New Mandala
Meeting Capt. Jim Lovell The Rogue Astronaut
November 2016
Another Arab awakening is looming, warns a UN report Economist
What will Trump mean for South East Asia? BBC
Obama reckons with a Trump Presidency The New Yorker
Anxiety grips Asia over regional security Nikkei Asian Review
Dubai: where victims are turned into criminals Herald-Sun Australia
To silence dissidents, Gulf states are revoking their citizenship Economist
Who is Chinese? The upper Han Economist
My journeys in Trumpland Guardian
Thai website shutdowns soar after king’s death Washington Post
Thailand’s Royal Fortune Looms Over Crown Prince’s Ascension to Throne WSJ
China’s Great Leap Backward The Atlantic
President Trump: How America Got It So Wrong Rolling Stone
October 2016
In praise of a president who offered America eight dignified years free of sex scandals Quartz
Think Canada is a progressive paradise? That’s mooseshit Guardian
Rise of Saudi Prince Shatters Decades of Royal Tradition New York Times
How Half Of America Lost Its F**king Mind cracked.com
A pilot describes what it was like to fly Hong Kong’s flag airline’s last Boeing 747 flight SCMP
Worries Over King’s Health Shake Thailand New York Times
The King is (nearly) dead: long live the King? New Mandala
End Of Days: Thailand Prepares For King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Death AEC news
Barack Obama – The way ahead The Economist
September 2016
Dubai could create its own demographic dividend Reuters Breaking Views
A win for Hillary Clinton The first presidential debate Economist
For Some, Bush-Obama Rapport Recalls a Lost Virtue: Political Civility New York Times
New Smithsonian museum chronicling black history opens: ‘It’s absolutely breathtaking’ Chicago Tribune
Tibet is harder to visit than North Korea. It was Disney meets Potemkin. Medium
Prince Charles to ‘strengthen ties’ with Gulf dictators Brian Whitaker on Medium
Lessons from Dubai David Learmount
Time for moral outrage Robin Lustig
Mekong – a River Rising Guardian
The GoPro Hero5 Is Finally Waterproof and Listens to Your Voice Commands
Trump and the Alt-Right: Pepe and the stormtroopers Economist
JUNTA ENDS MILITARY TRIALS FOR CIVILIANS. MARCH TOWARD MILITARIZATION CONTINUES Khaosod English
The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey Foreign Policy
Delta’s “Fly America” complaints get stranger the closer you look Air Transport World
The Zika Update Biobridge Global (regularly updated)
For one Zika patient, lingering symptoms and few answers Reuters
9/11 – 15 years on:
On 9/11, a tiny Canadian town opened its runways and heart to 7,000 stranded travelers Washington Post
‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky’ Politico Magazine
The Falling Man Esquire
****************
Disproving 9 of the Biggest 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Esquire
Thailand’s Deepening Fractures The Diplomat
Britain’s secret wars Guardian
‘Sully’ Is Latest Historical Film to Prompt Off-Screen Drama New York Times
How Snowden escaped National Post, Canada.
Does the left have a future? The Guardian
ICAO air investigation factsheet ICAO
Britain cannot easily dismiss Japanese Brexit warning letter Guardian
Japan’s Brexit demands range from possible to fanciful Guardian
Review: Placido Domingo thrills the crowd with opening performance at Dubai Opera The National
Justin Trudeau Puts Aside China’s Human Rights Record in Hopes He Can Get a Trade Deal Vice News
August 2016
Thailand’s NokScoot plans ambitious expansion with seven more 777s and complete focus on China CAPA
Opinion: Apple’s Irish ‘sweetheart’ deal unfair to taxpayers The Irish Times
Chinese-Canadians Fear China’s Rising Clout Is Muzzling Them New York Times
Air Force One: the ultimate power trip The Guardian
Thailand’s Clouded Future International Policy Digest
Can Thailand Really Hide a Rebellion? NY Times
From Bob Egan – an open letter to Canada Blue Rodeo
The Guardian view on Thailand: the military is in control – but for how long? Guardian
Chinese Airlines Wave Wads of Cash to Lure Foreign Pilots Bloomberg
“The worst place on earth”: inside Assad’s brutal Saydnaya prison The Guardian
Turkey coup attempt: Pride and fear one month on BBC
Obama’s Worst Mistake New York Times
The making of Moeen The Cricketer monthly
Thai referendum: Why Thais backed a military-backed constitution BBC
Revenge of the Conservatives in Thailand Straits Times
The ruining of Egypt The Economist
Emirates’ Boeing 777-300 crash: when go-around comes around The Australian
Thailand’s ambiguous referendum result Nikkei Asian Review
Thailand votes in favour of military-backed constitution FT
Thailand votes by public referendum – to make its government even less accountable to the people Independent
Thailand Awaits a Rigged Referendum Asia Sentinel
A vicious cycle of coups and constitutions New Mandala
Dim prospects for Thailand’s democracy New Mandala
Fifa is awful, but the Olympics takes the gold medal for sleaze Guardian
Contents of Draft Constitution: Less democracy, more junta power Prachatai
Thailand’s tourism boom: it’s over Financial Times
Party like it’s 1897: BFI releases a century’s worth of cricket videos Guardian
Thailand referendum: fears over fair vote as military cracks down on dissent Guardian
Thailand Junta Seeks to Extend Its Power With Constitutional Referendum New York Times
How Jeff Zucker Made CNN Great Again Variety
July 2016
1MDB: The inside story of the world’s biggest financial scandal Guardian
Flydubai flight records – the leaked documents Guardian
Airline pilots complain of dangerous fatigue in leaked documents Guardian
Thailand to try opposition figures in military court Al Jazeera
PR Kingdom: Press Debriefings and a Bit of Art in Doha. “Tea with Nefertiti” at Mathaf Art Agenda – New York
Thailand’s constitutional referendum is in a royal mess East Asia Forum
Ex-premier Abhisit turns on Thai junta’s draft charter CNA
Yingluck’s sappy HBD song for her brother Khaosod English
What’s the point of Asean? BBC
The Future of Design (and how to prepare for it) 99u.com
Why a new third runway at the airport will offer little benefit to Hong Kong HongKong Free Press
I’m With The Banned Laurie Penny on Medium
It’s all connected Globe and Mail
Donald Trump is a unique threat to American democracy Washington Post
Exclusive: MH370 Pilot Flew a Suicide Route on His Home Simulator Closely Matching Final Flight New York magazine
The generals who hide behind the throne The Economist
Wife of anti-monarchist British journalist detained in Thailand Guardian
Brexit Blues London Review of Books
Donald Trump paints a vision of a chaotic and dismal America Economist
Thailand’s hidden republican tradition New Mandala
How Turkey’s botched coup tried and failed to capture the president LA Times
Russia may be banned from Rio Olympics over state-sponsored doping Guardian
Ten things that Chilcot’s verdict reveals about Tony Blair and the Iraq war Guardian
The 40-year hangover: how the 1976 Olympics nearly broke Montreal Guardian
Oscar Pistorius sentence: an homage to celebrity and white privilege Guardian
Race and real estate: how hot Chinese money is making Vancouver unlivable Guardian
South Pole rescue all in a day’s work for Kenn Borek Air crew CTV – Canada
Iraq was destined for chaos – with or without Britain’s intervention The Guardian
June 2016
The Aviation Tourist in Boston Phillip Greenspun
Welcome to the new Toronto: the most fascinatingly boring city in the world The Guardian
The New Burma Is Starting to Look Too Much Like the Old Burma Foreign Policy
Dangerous militarisation of Thai justice Bangkok Post
Europhobia: a very British problem The Guardian
Be afraid, Donald Trump. We’re about to see the best of Barack Obama The Guardian
What I learned about governance, soft power and ambassadogs from the Monocle guide to nation-building The Long+Short
Flying Colors from North Korea: A Unique Aviation Adventure AIrways Magazine
Revealed: vast medieval cities hidden beneath the Cambodian jungle The Guardian
Tribunal verdict shreds Maria Sharapova defence The Guardian
EU to Start Delicate Middle East, Asia Aviation Talks WSJ
Thailand’s thoughtcrime arrests are getting dangerously bizarre USA Today
‘Our turn to die’ AFP on reporting from Somalia.
Airlines face end of ‘good old days’, says Emirates president FT
Thailand’s Hyper-royalism : Its Past Success and Present Predicament. Institute of South-East Asian studies.
Become a Pilot Slate.com
Governments Turn to Commercial Spyware to Intimidate Dissidents New York Times
May 2016
Internet laws a time-bomb Bangkok Post
George Takei: Hiroshima: I had family members among the dead The Guardian
Thailand is Headed Down a Dark Path Fair Observer
Two years since Thailand’s military coup, country heading for turmoil South East Asia Globe
Teenager With Letters Rattles Thai Junta as Crackdown Grows Bloomberg
Protest, die, repeat? Bangkok Post
Story of cities #43: how Dubai’s World Trade Centre sold the city to the world The Guardian
Thailand’s Constitutional Referendum: A Hobson’s Choice The Diplomat
Police press charges against human rights lawyer for defying their orders Prachatai
Watford to part company with manager Quique Sánchez Flores at end of season The Guardian
The king still never smiles New Mandala
Julian Barnes: my stupid Leicester City love The Guardian
Military repression halts progress: So much for paradise in Thailand Chicago Tribune
Aug. 7 will be a day of reckoning for Thailand Japan Times
Why did England win the World Cup in 1966? FT Magazine
Activist’s Mother Defamed Monarchy With Her Silence, Police Say Khaosod English
The Leicester Supremacy – a triumph that was never supposed to happen The Guardian
A brutal and dangerous place Jake Needham
The season of the fearless foxes, Leicester City – in pictures The Guardian
No Celebration in Thailand for World Press Freedom Day VoA
The crown crisis that could tear Thailand apart I-Politics – Canada
Barack Obama, Comedian in Chief The Atlantic
The complete transcript of President Obama’s 2016 White House correspondents’ dinner speech The Washington Post
April 2016
How Boots went rogue The Guardian
Obituary: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (1967-2016) Asia Sentinel
Thailand’s Military Government Cracks Down on Opponents New York Times
Thailand’s containment constitution New Mandala
Hillsborough disaster: deadly mistakes and lies that lasted decades The Guardian
An Illusion Made FlyDubai Pilots Crash Their Plane Into the Ground Popular Mechanics
Barack Obama: As your friend, let me say that the EU makes Britain even greater The Daily Telegraph
Rallying Public for Release of Watana Exposes Hierarchy of Rights Khaosod English
Welcome and goodbye: Barack Obama makes a swift trip to Riyadh The Economist
The $2 Trillion Project to Get Saudi Arabia’s Economy Off Oil Bloomberg
Story of cities #25: Shannon – a tiny Irish town inspires China’s economic boom The Guardian
Photos from boomtown Hong Kong during the 1970s Hong Kong Free Press
Stopping All Stations – The Pyongyang Metro Earth Nutshell
Out of Bounds in North Korea – Pyongyang Golf Course Earth Nutshell
Queen Elizabeth: long to reign over us? The Guardian
Monica Lewinsky: ‘The shame sticks to you like tar’ The Guardian (This is a very good and sympathetic article)
The madness of how Leicester turned from dreamers into dream-makers The Guardian
V for Vichai: How Leicester City’s Thai owner became a billionaire – on a blessing and a prayer IB Times
Is Qatar’s economy feeling the pinch? BBC
Emirates fatigue reports show UAE airlines pushing crews to limits (RT EXCLUSIVE) Russia Today
Leicester City and the strange finances behind their rise to the Premier League pinnacle The Guardian
Charter Draft First Look: When Will the Junta be Really Gone? (Analysis) Khaosod English
South China Morning Post Shows its New China Stripes Asia Sentinel
Politicians have no rights to disagree with me: Thai junta leader Prachathai
American exceptionalism: the great game and the noble way The Guardian
Singaporean PM in feud over anniversary of his father’s death The Guardian
Charter Vote a Time Bomb in the Making Khaosod English
Boris Johnson’s dire legacy for London The Guardian
That Time An SR-71 Made An Emergency Landing In Norway After Spying On The Soviets Foxtrot Alpha
Gulf 3 airline growth: Emirates steady, Qatar Airways accelerates & Etihad Airways slows CAPA
6 Creative IKEA Product Photography Hacks PetaPixel
Thailand is turning into Juntaland – and we are resisting The Guardian
Thai junta criticised as army given sweeping powers of arrest The Guardian
The top ten don’t do list Bangkok Post
Nine Reasons Dubai Could Be The Most Important City Of The 21st Century Forbes
Compare the above article to:
Dubai and Abu Dhabi don’t need a ministry of happiness – they need justice IBTimes
The Queen at 90: the secret of one’s success The Guardian
‘Folding umbrella market’ trains return to service Bangkok Post
ADS-B Analysis of FlyDubai 981: A Case of Somatogravic Illusion? Gerry Soejatman
60 Flydubai, Emirates pilots tell RT of fatigue, intimidation, misuse of authority Russia Today
Prime minister-like post for Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Al Jazeera
Flydubai accident update from MAK David Learmount (Flight International)
Shinawatra’s Puea Thai Party criticises junta’s proposed constitution and urges voters to block it SCMP
March 2016
A year of war that has set Yemen back decades BBC
Emirates Airline Denies Allegations of Forcing Pilots to Overwork Sputnik News
Andreas Lubitz and the Global Pilot Scam Threatening Your Safety The Daily Beast
Now exhausted Emirates Airlines pilots tell RT of overwork Russia Today (this could be just the start)
Don’t mention the weather Al-bab
How Obama Views the Men and Women Who (Also) Rule the World The Atlantic
The Road to Havana The Atlantic
Lunch with the FT: Thaksin Shinawatra FT
Flydubai B738 at Rostov on Don on Mar 19th 2016, struck wing onto runway after holding for 2 hours AvHerald (expect updates)
Pitcairn in ‘last chance saloon’ after child abuse images case The Guardian
Red shirts detained after campaigning against draft charter Prachatai
Relics of the Space Age New York Times
Thaksin: Thai military government will not last long Al Jazeera
On Thin Ice: India’s National Ice Hockey Team Al Jazeera
Thailand’s Junta and the Flower Sellers Straits Times
Critics fear Beijing’s sharp turn to authoritarianism BBC
February 2016
Reporting on Life, Death and Corruption in Southeast Asia New York Times
What the junta’s proposed constitution means for Thailand’s future Asian Correspondent
Masdar’s zero-carbon dream could become world’s first green ghost town The Guardian
Say Goodbye to Bangkok’s Flower Market Khaosod English
Revealed: Britain’s National Crime Agency Helped Thai Police Put Two Men On Death Row Buzzfeed
Decoding latest constitutional draft Prachatai
Thai nationalism and the rise of Buddhist extremism South East Asia Globe
Thailand’s love of the supernatural BBC
The Staying Power of Thailand’s Military The Diplomat
Defamation Suit Hits Veteran BBC Correspondent for Reports on Fraud Khaosod English
The Constitutional Court in the 2016 constitutional draft: A substitute King for Thailand in the post-Bhumibol era? Kyoto Review of South East Asia
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Junta’s ‘Anti-Corruption’ Constitution Khaosod English
Libel Unclear in ‘Illegal’ Video Mocking Prayuth Khaosod English
Is the Thai Junta’s support network starting to fray? East Asia Forum
January 2016
Thai military risks weakening the monarchy Japan Times
How Dragon Mart Explains the World Foreign Policy
China’s Search for Dissidents Has Now Expanded to Foreign Countries Time
Thailand Wants to Throw This British Rights Activist in Jail for Fighting Exploitation Vice News
No more physics and maths, Finland to stop teaching individual subjects Science Alert
Richard Anderson: Crazy or Crazy Like A Fox — Or Both? Airways News
Shinawatras Defy Junta With Publicity Drive Khaosod English/Reuters
16 new attractions on cards in Dubai this year Gulf News (this will be worth revisiting later in the year!)
Malaysia drops its Dubai flight in favour of Emirates code-share Gulf News
Public’s Watchdogs Become Dictator’s Lapdogs – KhaoSod English.
Etihad’s Backdoor Access To Europe Slammed Shut As Germany Axes Air Berlin Codeshares Forbes
Myanmar’s Peace Prize Winner and Crimes Against Humanity NYT