Worthwhile reading from other sites – 2017

A new year – a new collection of interesting (at least to me) news stories and features.

December 2017

How—and why—to end the war in Yemen Economist

How the Rohingya escaped NYT (caution – some very disturbing pictures)

Our most popular Instagram photos Reuters

Pictures of the Year 2017 Reuters

Why Saad Hariri Had That Strange Sojourn in Saudi Arabia NYT

The moral authority of the presidency is in tatters Washington Post

The Price of Freedom for Saudi Arabia’s Richest Man: $6 Billion WSJ

Declassified: Chinese official said at least 10,000 civilians died in 1989 Tiananmen massacre, documents show Hong Kong Free Press

The final stages of dementia: ‘Does he dream about the love that’s still there?’ Guardian

“The Last Jedi” tears down—and rebuilds—the Star Wars franchise The Economist

1,000 days of war: Saudi coalition ‘pushing Yemen towards apocalypse’ Middle East Eye

Astroturfing, Twitterbots, Amplification – Inside the Online Influence Industry BIJ

The choice that could save South Africa, or wreck it Economist

The axis of Arab autocrats who are standing behind Donald Trump Middle East Eye

GCC summit cut short by a day amid diplomatic rift Al Jazeera

Christine Keeler, former model at heart of Profumo affair, dies at 75 Guardian

Did American Missile Defense Fail in Saudi Arabia? NYT

Six months later, lessons from a failed siege Al Jazeera

The Qatar Crisis In An Age Of Alternative Facts Lobe Log

Absolute Power in the Hands of a Crown Prince Der Spiegel Online

How Cyber Gray-Ops Became the New Norm in the Middle East The Cipher Brief

November 2017

Long Divided, Iran Unites Against Trump and Saudis in a Nationalist Fervor NYT

Trump’s Sinister Attacks on CNN The Atlantic

Saudi Arabia’s Great Gamble National Interest

Where Brexit Hurts: The Nurses and Doctors Leaving London New York Times

Australia built a hell for refugees on Manus. The shame will outlive us all Richard Flanagan in The Guardian

Behrouz Boochani exposed Australia’s evil on Manus. The shame will outlive us all Richard Flanagan in The Guardian

Treading softly in Thailand AFP

Journalist Investigating Trump And Russia Says ‘Full Picture Is One Of Collusion’ NPR

LIFE UNDER KIM JONG UN Washington Post

Bitter Differences in the Gulf Arab Digest

Thai Lion Air to pursue more rapid international expansion as A330-300s and 737 MAX 8s are delivered CAPA

Iran and Saudi Arabia take their rivalry to Lebanon Economist

Dubai Air Show 2017 – Day Four and summary RAeS

Trump Asia tour focuses on trade, not human rights BBC

The Upstart Saudi Prince Who’s Throwing Caution to the Winds New York Times

LEAKED DOCUMENTS EXPOSE STUNNING PLAN TO WAGE FINANCIAL WAR ON QATAR — AND STEAL THE WORLD CUP The Intercept

THE REVERSE MIDAS TOUCH OF SAUDI ARABIA’S CROWN PRINCE IS TURNING THE MIDDLE EAST TO DUST The Intercept

The Brutal Fight to Mine Your Data and Sell It to Your Boss Bloomberg

Don’t be fooled by the comforting rhetoric coming from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Washington Post

Qatar Airways Buys Cathay Pacific Stake for $662 Million Bloomberg

Saudi-led coalition calls missile ‘dangerous escalation’ of Yemen conflict Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Game of Thobes’ Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is acting like Putin Washington Post

Things that go bump in the night in Riyadh Middle East Eye

High stakes as Saudi crown prince tries to remove opponents Al-Monitor

Gulf Roundtable: The Fight in the GCC Centre for Strategic and International Studies

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Makes the Heart Grow Fonder NYT

Saudi Arabia’s game of thrones Press TV

The airline industry’s most outspoken boss goes global Economist

Southeast Asian cyberspace: politics, censorship, polarisation New Mandala

Rare protest in junta-ruled Thailand after mourning chaos Reuters

Thailand reaches a turning point as the Bhumibol era ends Nikkei Asian Review

Hong Kong’s autonomous status has significantly deteriorated, UK think tank says HKFP

October 2017

The many paths from Trump to Russia CNN

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: SLEEPING IN THE STADIUM WITH AUNTIE NATEE Khaosod English

VORANAI: HOW TO MAKE FATHER PROUD Khaosod English

Thailand Bids Farewell to Its King in an Elaborate Funeral Ceremony The Atlantic

MOURNERS WITNESS ‘ROYAL BODY THEFT’ RITUAL Khaosod English

Old dominance, new dominos in Southeast Asia New Mandala

After Year of Mourning, Thailand’s Divisions Remain Chatham House

How a Thai King Made Wealth Seem Sacred NYT

Trumpocracy: Tracking the Creeping Authoritarianism of the 45th President MotherJones

Thais, their late King and the last goodbye. Bangkok Post

The Silhouette of Oppression Spuddings (Singapore blog)

Thailand’s Supreme Court and the Prosecution of Thailand’s Successive Prime Ministers I-Connect

Book Review: Living with Myths in Singapore New Mandala

Cricket is rotting away. Everything worthwhile about it is being destroyed Matthew Engel in the Guardian.

Airbus, Bombardier and the C Series: Understanding the “ABCs” of the deal Skies

A Russian Ghost Submarine, Its U.S. Pursuers and a Deadly New Cold War WSJ

Tillerson Faults Saudi-Led Bloc for Failing to End Qatar Crisis Bloomberg

The Intimidation Game Bangkok Post

HERE ARE THE FOREIGN DIGNITARIES COMING FROM 32 NATIONS Khaosod English

Will Dubai deals turn into a house of cards? FT

Trump Doesn’t Govern Like a Toddler. He Governs Like a Teen-Ager The New Yorker

Four days, 11 flights, 10,000km: A reporter’s journey to examine the growth of Asia’s budget airlines  Channel News Asia

The threat of regime change 2.0 to GCC unity Middle East Eye

Thomson Reuters pledges $100 million for new tech hub The Baron

QATAR IS QUICKLY ADAPTING TO THE SAUDI LED BLOCKADE Newsweek

Thailand’s monarchy: where does love end and dread begin? Financial Times

Social Effects of the Qatar Crisis Gulf State Analytics

Thai Junta to Charge Ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with Lese Majeste Reuters via Chiang Rai Times

Getting out of Thailand’s political cul-de-sac Nikkei Asian Review

112 CASE MOVES FORWARD AGAINST HISTORIAN FOR DOUBTING 16TH CENTURY ‘ELEPHANT DUEL’ Khaosod English

Thaksin faces lese majeste peril  Bangkok Post

 

September 2017

HKFP Lens: Photographs of Hong Kong in the 1950s taken by industrialist Lord Lawrence Kadoorie HK Free Press

Chiang Mai’s role in putting cricket on the front foot in Thailand BangkokPost

Hypocrisy of double standards  BangkokPost

Seven things Saudi women still can’t do, despite driving ban lift ME Eye

America’s Biggest Southeast Asian Ally Is Drifting Toward China Foreign Policy

Myanmar tapped into communal divide, fear, paved way for violence in Rakhine The Indian Express

Dubai begins retrofitting skyscrapers to protect against fires The National

Germany’s election: a primer The Economist

Kaffeeklatsch Thoughts and opinions on the German-speaking world, in the coffee-house tradition Economist

Haunting, chillingly plausible, peerless … how The Handmaid’s Tale changed TV Guardian

Last Tango in the Gulf Gulf House for Studies and Publishing

Saudi Arabia: Prominent Clerics Arrested HRW

Rohingya crisis: How much power does Aung San Suu Kyi really have? BBC

Has Trump become a leader of Arab nationalism? Middle East Monitor

Commentary: How Trump mainstreamed hate Reuters

Clinton’s catharsis: Book lays blame in multiple places for defeat to Trump Toronto Metro

Airports Can Be Marvels Slate

The Risk of Nuclear War with North Korea The New Yorker

The Guardian view on the Rohingya in Myanmar: the Lady’s failings, the military’s crimes Guardian Editorial

What Yingluck’s Fate Says About Sexism in Thailand The Diplomat

Take away Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nobel peace prize. She no longer deserves it Guardian

The President V. The Press 2017 Rory Peck Awards

The shameful silence of Aung San Suu Kyi Washington Post

A hard landing for the Gulf’s high flyers FT

Cambodia Daily shuts with ‘dictatorship’ parting shot at prime minister Hun Sen Guardian

Rakhine conflict could ignite regional religious tensions Nikkei Asian Review

August 2017

Thailand’s hopes of democracy are receding Economist

Oman is benefiting from the standoff over Qatar, for now Economist

Houston under water Reuters

JAMES IVORY ON THE RETURN OF “HEAT AND DUST” Roger Ebert

In Thailand, civic life is suffering under the junta’s tight grip Economist

John Kerr: Brexit is about foreign policy. Why is Britain being so silent? London Evening Standard

What the UAE fears most: Democracy Middle East Eye (blocked in the UAE).

Cambridge University Press limits access to articles in China FT

Editorial: Air Canada, FAA hindered investigation of SFO near-miss East Bay Times

Kumar Sangakkara: how civil war and 2004 tsunami helped me keep terrorist attack in perspective SkySports

Who’s Actually in Qatar? International Policy Digest

Qatar Will Not Be Intimidated WSJ (commentary not op-ed)

The Guardian view on Donald Trump and racism: a moral failure that shames America Guardian

Radio silence: 24-hour broadcast of BBC World Service dropped in Hong Kong Guardian

Dark Signs in the Persian Gulf LobeLog

UAE’s ‘secret’ $20m connection with US envoy mediating Gulf conflict Middle East Monitor

Qatar crisis redraws red lines and frays age-old Gulf ties Associated Press

CASK: Europe’s Full Service Airlines have the world’s highest costs, US airlines the lowest CAPA

ARGUMENT The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan … Stalin Did Foreign Policy

Dubai bans news site for report on failed building projects Middle East Eye

Incredible news: Bahrain thrilled by royal nepotism Al-bab

Unlearning the myth of American innocence Guardian

Dubai Marina Torch Tower fire: Heroes emerge to stun world Gulf News (an awful article)

Islamic State behind Australians’ foiled Etihad meat-mincer bomb plot – police Reuters

The UAE’s hunt for its enemies is challenging its alliance with the United States Washington Post

No Dunkirk Spirit Can Save Britain From Brexit Defeat New York Times

The Tortured Politics behind the Persian Gulf Crisis International Policy Digest

Qatar Buys Italian Warships as Persian Gulf Crisis Deepens New York Times

Game-Changing Qatar Law to Grant Expats Permanent Residency Bloomberg

Air Canada near miss: picture shows how close planes came to crashing Guardian

July 2017

‘Boss’, ‘Pai’ and the casino of (in)justice. Bangkok Post

Charlie Gard: The Facts Reaction

Yemen crisis: Who is fighting whom? BBC

Yemen conflict: A nation’s agony as cholera and hunger spread BBC

Donald Trump compounds dollar’s woes FT

Authorities Ban Dubai News Site and Magazine Over ‘False News’ Bloomberg

The Cruelty and Cynicism of Trump’s Transgender Ban The New Yorker

US air carriers shamefully playing on anti-Arab bias The National from 2015 – still valid today.

The World’s Top 15 Cities Travel and Leisure

New UAE Documentary Claims Qatar Complicit in 9/11 Attacks Foreign Policy

The long-running family rivalries behind the Qatar crisis Guardian

Thailand monks: Wirapol Sukphol case highlights country’s Buddhism crisis BBC Thailand

Qatar Opens Its Doors to All, to the Dismay of Some New York Times

Thai king to control billions in ‘richest royal fortune’ The Age

The Qatari hack cements the Middle East as the worst region in the world for fake news Independent

UAE orchestrated hacking of Qatari government sites, sparking regional upheaval, according to U.S. intelligence officials Washington Post

When Hong Kong’s first night flight took off from Kai Tak 58 years ago this month SCMP

Don’t let US majors chip away at Open Skies ATW

Asia’s Flagship Carriers Leak Red Ink The Street

The fatal divide for business in Brexit Britain FT

IF THAILAND HAD A REFORMED MONARCHY TURNING ITSELF INTO A PROPER DEMOCRACY World If – Economist

American Airlines to End Qatar Airways and Etihad Code Share Agreements Airways

How powerful people use criminal-defamation laws to silence their critics Economist

The Guardian view on the repeal bill: bad for Brexit, bad for democracy Editorial Guardian

The other side of Dubai – I had to change the headline! Vice News

American Airlines Says It Will End Codeshare Deals With Qatar Airways And Etihad Airways Forbes

Thailand’s triple threat Lowry Institute

30 signs that you grew up in Toronto in the 1990s BlogT0

Hong Kong has given Cathay Pacific a special privilege that costs us dearly SCMP

“It’s all on autopilot, right?” Mark Mannering-Smith

Brexit and the prospect of national humiliation FT

Britain’s decline and fall Economist

Saudi Arabia’s attempt to silence Al Jazeera is outrageous Economist

Revisiting My Hong Kong, 20 Years After the British Left New York Times

The Qatar crisis has nothing to do with Al Jazeera and everything to do with the war in Syria Robert Fisk in The Independent

 

June 2017

What’s the best age gap in a relationship? The Economist

Hong Kong in Beijing’s shadow 20 years after handover AFP

The Qatar Crisis Jacobin

PHOTOS: THE COMMERCIAL PLANES OF THE 2017 PARIS AIR SHOW Airways

How The Guardian Lost America Buzzfeed

Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault Washington Post

Trump’s Lies New York Times

Maritime Mystery: Why a U.S. Destroyer Failed to Dodge a Cargo Ship NY Times

Thailand’s military-installed Legislative Assembly to impose 20-year national strategy on future governments ABC Australia

The dark side of China’s national renewal FT

THE TAMARIND IS ALWAYS SOUR Granta

Overpopulated and Underfed: Countries Near a Breaking Point New York Times

No secret prisons run by UAE in Yemen: Ministry Khaleej Times

Qatar Airways wants to buy 10 percent stake in American Airlines Reuters

Nasa’s Kepler telescope finds 10 Earth-like planets: ‘We are not alone’ Guardian

Thai King shot at by two boys with BB guns: Reports SEA Globe

In Yemen’s secret prisons, UAE tortures and US interrogates Associated Press

Qatar Airways Seeks a 10% Stake in American Airlines WSJ

Thailand lese-majeste: UN urges amendment to law BBC

The siege of Qatar isn’t working Economist

How the Middle East became an electronic battleground Al-Bab

The Qatar Crisis Oracle Opinions

Are China and the Unites States heading for war The New Yorker

Trump’s Strange Retreat from Cuba Politico

A shock to the system: how Corbyn changed the rules of British politics Guardian

Qatar crisis: Have Saudis gone too far? BBC

Have no pity for May. Don’t forgive, and never forget why she must go Guardian

The biggest Trump-era trade dispute may be over airlines. Here’s what’s happening. Washington Post

Gulf Showdown Exposes Qatar’s Fragility Bloomberg

Britain: The End of a Fantasy New York Review of Books

The crisis is only just beginning for Qatar Tha National, UAE

I Left My Son in a Kingdom of Men New York Times

A family feud – Saudi Arabia cuts off Qatar The Economist

Will Qatar’s Diplomatic Exile Spark the Next Great War? Foreign Policy

‘We are not ready to surrender,’ Qatar’s foreign minister says Reuters

Qatar crisis: The deep diplomatic tensions behind the row BBC

Wonderland Villas: A tale of Hong Kong’s property rollercoaster Hong Kong Free Press

What Does the UAE Want? GeorgetownUniversiy – Qatar

Trump jitters draw Southeast Asia into China’s embrace FT

Blown off course: Emirates flies into turbulence FT

The Saudi Prince, the Sheikh and a Gulf Renegade Bloomberg

Qatar lies nailed over terror funding Khaleej Times

The Qatar spat exposes Britain’s game of thrones in the Gulf Guardian

The $1bn hostage deal that enraged Qatar’s Gulf rivals FT

QATAR’S GULF ALLIES HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF DOHA’S BROKEN PROMISES Newsweek

Long haul low cost becomes mainstream as full service airlines gradually embrace new business models CAPA

‘Blame the internet’ is just not a good enough response, Theresa May Guardian

With his London tweets, Trump embarrasses himself — and America — once again Washington Post

Britain is being led to an epic act of national self-harm over Brexit Guardian

Inside the Isis social network New Statesman

The middle has fallen out of British politics The Economist

Tears of a Rickshaw Driver New York Times (2014 article on the Tiananmen anniversary.)

China: Own Up to Tiananmen Massacre HRW

Hidden Away for 28 Years, Tiananmen Protest Pictures See Light of Day New York Times

Dubai high-rises slowly surround flamingo reserve AP

The flaws in Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris accord The Economist

May 2017

Dhaveevatthana prison: hell on Earth in Thailand Japan Times

Emirates Orders Cabin Crew Not to Wear ROC Pin on Uniform, to Respect ‘One China’ Policy Taiwan Sentinel

Three years after coup, junta is deeply embedded in Thai life Reuters

Lese majeste drive targets web viewers Bangkok Post

Banned in Bangkok Bangkok Post

When the World Is Led by a Child New York Times

The investigations swirling around Donald Trump – a short guide Guardian

Cheap Lesson for Cathay Pacific Bloomberg

Student leader a rare voice of dissent in military-ruled Thailand Reuters

How to escape the online spies Guardian

Behind China’s $1 Trillion Plan to Shake Up the Economic Order New York Times

The Republican’s Guide to Presidential Behavior New York Times

Thailand will charge facebook if it doesn’t take down content they find insulting Vice News

10 things you didn’t know about Britain’s canals Guardian

The Guardian view on Labour’s manifesto: a bold step Guardian editorial

The super-connector airlines face a world of troubles Economist

Facebook blocks scores of pages in Thailand Al Jazeera

ADMIRAL BEHIND SUBMARINE DEAL DEFENDS NEED FOR ‘DREAM WEAPON’ Khaosod News

Thailand’s junta is trying to sell ‘dictatorship as democracy’ SouthEast Asia Globe

Air force to boost golf course security  Bangkok Post

The Prison outside the prison Prachatai

Despotic urbanism in Thailand New Mandala

Tall tales and a big vision: Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket 40 years on Guardian

UAE’s Battle-Hardened Military Expands Into Africa, Mideast Associated Press

Dubai Introduces Its Own Font, Lauding Free Expression It Does Not Permit New York Times

Thailand intensifies state control under new king CNBC

Tony Blair: ‘Labour can win at any point that it wants to get back to winning ways’ Guardian

April 2017

Bangkok’s Airplane Squatters Taylor Weidman (Chiang Mai based photographer)

Hong Kong’s autonomy agreement could be scrapped if it threatens China, official warns Hong Kong free press

Congratulations, Mr President, on your wild romp through all norms and rules Guardian

Gagged by “Peace and Order” Reporters without Borders

Prince Depangkorn turns 12-year-old Thai PBS

Are Thais getting the dictators they deserve? Bangkok Post

‘People wet their knickers when they find out I was in Bananarama’: the 80s trio return Guardian

‘I’m shaking my head’: Hot Toronto housing market driving prices up in small town Ontario CBC

Thai royal agencies brought under control of new king Reuters

Emirates has multiple reasons for cutting back on US capacity CAPA

The mystery of the missing democracy symbol BBC

Why Thailand’s military is trying to erase me from the Internet Washington Post

Big job losses reported at Abu Dhabi’s The National Arabian Business

Last orders loom at Uncle Pan’s Bangkok noodle stall AFP

Thailand: Ban on street food takes effect in capital amid junta crackdown Asian Correspondent

Kingdom of fear (and favour) New Mandala

Painting the Bangkok Night The Diplomat

Chiang Mai: Thailand’s modern-day Left Bank Nikkei Asian Review

Syria’s civil war explained from the beginning Al Jazeera

Thai military warns against online contact with prominent critics BBC

Thailand instructs citizens to stop following three critics online The Age

DXB through the ages Dubai Airports

Thailand’s new constitution favors the monarchy and military Nikkei Asian Review

Dubai Aims to Be the Transportation City of Tomorrow WSJ

From love to fear: The rise of King Vajiralongkorn Al Jazeera

Qatar Airways is MEB3 load factor champion to US in 2016; filled over 80% of seats on its 10 routes beating Emirates and Etihad Airways anna.aero

The Deeper Scandal of That Brutal United Video The Atlantic

One Man’s Quest to Prove Saudi Arabia Bankrolled 9/11 Politico

In Thailand, a King’s Coup? New York Times

The LA Times series on President Trump:

Our Dishonest President

Trump’s Authoritarian Vision

Trump’s War on Journalism

Conspiracy Theorist in Chief

California Fights Back

The devil in the details: Thailand’s new constitution in a nutshell Prachatai

Top job at Etihad requires constitution of steel Arab News

Carry on killing Bangkok Post

In Thailand, blood sacrifice is out. Strawberry Fanta is in PRI

Seven Lessons From Trump’s Syria Strike The Atlantic

Trump’s Syria Strike Was Unconstitutional and Unwise The Atlantic

BBC vows to ‘suit Thai laws, culture BBC

Before and After – the five changes to the Thai constitution Khaosod English

Qatar World Cup 2022 organisers slash budget by up to 50%  Arabian Business

Thailand’s constitution: New era, new uncertainties BBC

Thai king signs constitution that opens way for elections FT

German Slated to Lead Etihad Handelsblatt

CNN Had a Problem. Donald Trump Solved It New York Times magazine

The Observer view on EU negotiations – Observer editorial

The untouchable Red Bull heir in Thailand BBC

March 2017

Chris Patten says Theresa May is creating “Millwall” Britain: “No one likes us, we don’t care” New Statesman

Laptop ban on planes came after plot to put explosives in iPad Guardian

The Observer view on triggering article 50 Guardian

All the President’s Lies New York Times

Is it too late to save Hong Kong from Beijing’s authoritarian grasp? Guardian

China goes west: a ghost city in the sand comes to life Guardian

UK bans laptops and tablets on flights from six Middle East countries Guardian

The Middle East’s once fast-expanding airlines are coming under pressure The Economist

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth’s grip starting to slip Asia Times

Has SMS had its day – Safety Management Systems in Aviation via LinkedIn

Tapping Trump? Just Security

I drove Australia’s Great Ocean Road – here’s why Guardian

Thailand 2016 Human Rights Report  US Department of State

Toronto’s buried history: the dark story of how mining built a city Guardian

Article 44 as strong medicine and its side effects Khaosod English

Donald Trump isn’t the only villain – the Republican party shares the blame Guardian

Trump cites no evidence, accuses Obama of ‘Nixon/Watergate’ plot to wiretap Trump Tower Washington Post

An English Sheep Farmer’s View of Rural America NYT

Berlin’s ‘disaster airport’ – a tale of mishaps and delays DW

Behind the walls: A look at conditions in Thailand’s prisons after the coup FIDH

Appeals court upholds death penalty for Koh Tao murderers Khaosod English

Broke Bird: Nok Air lost 3 billion baht in 2016 Coconuts Bangkok

February 2017

Trump, Putin and the New Cold War The New Yorker

BBC to fight for correspondent Jonathan Head’s freedom in Thailand The Age

They Cannot Keep Us Quiet Amnesty International – Thailand

Donald Trump: Unchained and unapologetic BBC

Tony Blair is right on Brexit. Now he should get into the trenches or back off Economist

On Trump, corruption & more: Sheikh Mohammed gets candid What’s On – Dubai

Inside Donald Trump’s White House Chaos Time

Donald Trump’s tweets explained Financial Times

The UAE’s ambitious plan to build a new city — on Mars Washington Post

Admit it: Trump is unfit to serve Washington Post

What Did Trump Know, and When Did He Know It? NYT

Trump vs. the Globalists Politico

Superjumbo airline Emirates thinking smaller again CNN Money

Thailand’s new king shows his strength Reuters

Thailand to try activist who shared king’s profile on Facebook BBC

Trump and Staff Rethink Tactics After Stumbles NYT

UN slams first royal slur charge under new Thai king AFP

LEGAL ANALYSIS Thailand: Computer Crime Act Article99.org

American airlines want Trump to take on their Gulf rivals CNN

January 2017

How Trump’s Executive Orders Could Set America Back 70 Years The Atlantic

Milton Keynes: The middle-aged new town BBC

Eyes on the spies in Thailand New Mandala

Poor schools are at the heart of Thailand’s political malaise Economist

The Decline and Fall of Asia’s Airline Empires Bloomberg

We’re not out to punish Britain, but you need to shed your illusions Guardian

China’s Cool girl Leah Dou Touring the States for First Time Broadway World

The finger of fate Flight Safety Australia

Obama’s Secret to Surviving the White House Years: Books New York Times

Job Cuts, Fewer Flights? Hong Kong Airline Cathay Set for Overhaul Reuters

‘Is this what the west is really like?’ How it felt to leave China for Britain Guardian

Thailand Events of 2016 HRW – World Report 2017

Thailand’s new king rejects the army’s proposed constitution Economist

Obama speech: Democracy needs you, says outgoing president BBC

With Barack Obama’s exit the US is losing a saint. But a sinner may make a better president Guardian

Why Obama Will Go Down as One of the Greatest Presidents of All Time GQ

Why unlike Rory, for Northern Ireland’s political class bigotry and bile will always be simply par for the course Belfast Telegraph

Donald Trump Meets, and Assails, the Press The Atlantic

Is Emirates Airline Running Out of Sky? Bloomberg

Found in transit: the rise of the aerotropolis Australian Financial Review

The Crisis Manager’s Cheat Sheet for 2017 Foreign Policy

In Pictures: June 4, 1989 – the night the tanks rolled into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square Hong Kong Free Press

Obama’s legacy: the promises, shortcomings and fights to come Guardian