So onto year three of the new look rascott.com and here are some things that I have read and found interesting – and think that you might as well….
December 2018
Who owns Britain? Open Democracy
Yemen on the brink: how the UAE is profiting from the chaos of civil war Guardian
Inside China’s audacious global propaganda campaign Guardian
November 2018
The paranoid fantasy behind Brexit The Guardian
What the Lion Air Pilots May Have Needed to Do to Avoid a Crash NYT
How the Camp fire overwhelmed Paradise Washington Post
FAA evaluates a potential design flaw on Boeing’s 737 MAX after Lion Air crash Seattle Times
Emirates Group announces half-year performance for 2018-19 Emirates
New Questions Swirl Over Boeing on Updated 737 Model That Crashed NYT
All hail the UAE Tolerance Summit…or else Middle East Eye
100 years on, Asia has largely forgotten the ‘Great War’ Nikkei Asian Review
We have no excuses now. Our eyes are wide open. Washington Post
How a Saudi royal crushed his rivals in a ‘shakedown’ at the Ritz-Carlton NBC
Why Mohammed bin Salman is now circling the wagons Middle East Eye
Thailand’s Rap Against Dictatorship New Mandala
HOW THE WAR IN YEMEN BECAME A BLOODY STALEMATE — AND THE WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN THE WORLD NYT magazine
The Last Gasp of Northern Ireland NYT
How the killing of Jamal Khashoggi affects Turkish-Saudi relations Economist
How to scout a football team FT or Watford FC
October 2018
Venice flooded by high tide – in pictures Guardian
The Rise and Fall of Thailand’s Print Media Newnaratif
The Midterm Elections Are a Referendum on Donald Trump The New Yorker
The Enduring Fantasy of the Modernizing Autocrat NYT
Bangkok Best East 2018 BK magazine
At stake in Khashoggi affair: control of the Arab world’s narrative Christian Science Monitor
How the man behind Khashoggi murder ran the killing via Skype Reuters
Hong Kong’s troubled mega-bridge – counting the human, environmental and financial cost Hong Kong free press
Khashoggi the pawn in a Mideast showdown over the Sunni Muslim world Globe and Mail
Jamal Khashoggi: murder in the consulate The Guardian
Why Democracy Has Failed in Thailand Asia Sentinel
On Jamal Khashoggi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Saudi Arabia Brookings Institute
More Insulting Lies From Saudi Arabia NYT
A President Kowtowing to a Mad Prince NYT
What Damage Control Looks Like in Saudi Arabia Bloomberg
Obituary: Rachel Whittaker The Baron – Rachel came from Reuters London to IP Sharp Associates in Toronto as HR Director.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER IN THAILAND Andrew MacGregor Marshall on CX700Z
Audio Contains Gruesome Details of Khashoggi Killing, Turkish Official Says NYT
In the Wake of Khashoggi’s Disappearance, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Is Pushed to the Brink The New Yorker
Jamal Khashoggi: details of alleged Saudi hit squad emerge The Guardian
It took a while, but ‘The Death of Hong Kong’ has arrived Inkstone News
Jamal Khashoggi: A red line has been crossed Al Jazeera
Saudis are said to have lain in wait for Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post
Jamal Khashoggi dragged from consulate office, killed and dismembered Middle East Eye
Apple Watch, hired jet, mystery vehicle figure in search for missing Saudi dissident Reuters
Read Jamal Khashoggi’s columns for The Washington Post Washington Post
Turkey Believes Prominent Saudi Critic Was Killed in Saudi Consulate in Istanbul NYT
Jamal Khashoggi: A different sort of Saudi Middle East Eye
Rush to finish Istanbul airport leads to deaths and protests Irish Times
Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Trump, Aramco, Arrests: Transcript Bloomberg
Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father NYT
How Aung San Suu Kyi Lost Her Way The Atlantic
September 2018
One thousand and one Arabian slights Chatham House
British cave divers also rescued four trapped Thai rescuers in Tham Luang Cave Darkness Below
Emirates Seeks Etihad Takeover to Create World’s Largest Airline Bloomberg
Don’t buy the Brexit hype: it’s a border in the Irish Sea or the customs union Guardian
Emirates-Etihad Sibling Rivalry Won’t Have a Happy Ending Bloomberg
For Valentino Dixon, a wrong righted Golf Digest
A Chinese Company Reshaping the World Leaves a Troubled Trail Bloomberg
A Viking farewell for Alastair Cook, England’s unflashy seducer of crowds Guardian
‘Under Swami’s spell’: 14 tourists claim sexual assault by guru at Thai yoga retreat Guardian
33 HOURS OF DEFIANCE: THE THAI AIRMEN WHO RESISTED AN EMPIRE Khaosod English
Saudi’s losing gambler: The raw truth about Mohammed bin Salman Middle East Eye
I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration NYT
Read Senator John McCain’s Farewell Statement NYT
Britain’s shared spaces are vanishing, leaving us a nation of cliques The Guardian
Want to solve the world’s problems? Try working together across disciplines AP – The Conversation – Olin College
August 2018
The Exclusionary Turn in GCC Politics Arab Center Washington DC
Gulf grapples with ‘silent’ economic crisis Asia Times
NIKON STRIKES BACK AT SONY WITH FIRST FULL-FRAME MIRRORLESS CAMERAS The Verge
Hothouse Earth Is Merely the Beginning of the End Rolling Stone
An island of wellbeing in a tide of democratic disintegration SMH
Thailand’s Prayut running on a false sense of security Asia Times
The Blowup With Canada Is the Latest Saudi Overreach. Will They Ever Pay a Price? The Intercept
No deal is often better than a bad deal. Not with Brexit The Economist
July 2018
Hong Kong’s fight to save its neon shimmer – a photo essay Guardian
Emirates outlines 2Q19 service reductions for Dubai Airport runway upgrade project Routes online
Faye Wong’s new music video on Chinese reality TV show recorded in one take – watch it here SCMP
Subverting British democracy: The UAE’s reach and influence revealed The New Arab
China and the Middle East: Why the UAE is deepening ties with Beijing Middle East Eye
Theresa May’s Impossible Choice The New Yorker
Holland’s Struggle With Its 9/11 Anna Holligan is the BBC’s correspondent in The Hague – she is writing about MH17.
The full story of Thailand’s extraordinary cave rescue BBC
When will the Saudis learn that Trump is toxic? Middle East Eye
‘Still Can’t Believe It Worked’: The Story of the Thailand Cave Rescue NYT
The Thai Cave Rescue, Before Its Triumph, Teetered on the Brink of Disaster WSJ
Cave rescue: Key questions answered BBC
Stateless and Poor, Some Boys in Thai Cave Had Already Beaten Long Odds NYT
Thailand’s Caves Are Dangerously Alluring The Atlantic
Boris Johnson Has Ruined Britain NYT
Thai villagers are stunned when they wake up and discover a BOEING 747 in a field near their homes Daily Mail (I know – I am sorry – but it is an airplane story!)
Phuket boat tragedy shows our indifference. Bangkok Post
‘Where Have You Guys Been?’: Thai Cave Challenge Quickly Became a Trap WSJ
Ailing Thai media grow dependent on junta’s financial support Nikkei Asian Review
Thailand tourist boat sinking: At least 33 confirmed dead off Phuket BBC
Disaster cave to be next tourist attraction Bangkok Post
Colin Byrne: Farcical US Open set-up twists the knife further for golf The Irish Times
Etihad Announces Details Of Their Radical Restructuring One Mile at a Time
Myth and politics in Thailand’s cave rescue operation New Mandala
Thailand Cave Search Turns to How to Rescue Trapped Soccer Team NYT
British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world The Guardian
June 2018
The revival of Thailand’s death penalty New Mandala
Thailand’s Leader Promised to Restore Democracy. Instead He’s Tightening His Grip Time
US quits UN human rights council – ‘a cesspool of political bias’ Guardian
Detainees held without charges decry Emiratis’ sexual abuses AP
Saudi Moves Forward With Plan to Turn Qatar Into Island Bloomberg
Trip Report: Quest Kodiak Series II Aviation Industry News
This Is What Trump’s Impulsive Diplomacy Looks Like Time
Laura Bush: Separating children from their parents at the border ‘breaks my heart’ Washington Post
Thai King Now Holds Crown Property Bureau’s Billions in Assets Blooomberg
How Russia won the World Cup Guardian
This should have been the real headline of the Trump-Kim summit Washington Post
Etihad claims overhaul progress but losses remain high FlightGlobal
The Irresistible Rise of Afghanistan’s Cricket Team NYT
Trump Was Outfoxed in Singapore NYT
Finally, a president with the guts to stand up to Canada Washington Post
Qatar says it is taking UAE to International Court of Justice FT
Qatar says it files case against UAE at UN’s highest court AP
UAE rights activist Ahmed Mansoor sentenced to 10 years in prison Al Jazeera
Free Ahmed Mansoor Amnesty International
The imperial nostalgia of a ‘Small Island’ The UK in a changing Europe
In Cambodia, stalled Chinese casino resort embodies Silk Road secrecy, risks Reuters
Ten years for a tweet: UAE’s shameful imprisonment of Ahmed Mansoor Middle East Eye
Washington’s Pax Americana Cartel The American Conservative
Europe to Britain: Eat your cake and go Politico
UN accuses Saudi Arabia of using anti-terror laws to justify torture Guardian
The Gulf Impasse’s One Year Anniversary & the Changing Regional Dynamics Gulf International Forum
What life is like for ordinary North Koreans Economist
Brexit Britain is an island nation, but it’s never been alone Guardian
QATAR CRISIS CREATES ‘NEW’ GULF WITH NO WINNERS, EXPERTS WARN WAU
Unseen shots from Tiananmen 1989 – When Beijing’s students dared to dream of change Hong Kong Free Press
Qatar World Cup weathers Gulf crisis but fresh storms brew France24
May 2018
In Britain, Austerity Is Changing Everything NYT
How did google get so big CBS News
OH SPARE US THIS WOKE MONARCHY Spiked
Forget the Markles – who in their right mind would want to marry into the royal family? The Independent
In Thailand, No Justice 8 Years After Crackdown HRW
Trump Jr. and Other Aides Met With Gulf Emissary Offering Help to Win Election NYT
Oh Oh: Emirates Cutting Pilot Staffing On Some Longhaul Flights Due To Pilot Shortage One Mile at a Time
The Definitive Story Of How Trump’s Team Worked The Trump Moscow Deal During The Campaign Buzzfeed
Kushners Near Deal With Qatar-Linked Company for Troubled Tower NYT
Thailand’s ruling junta is preparing to hold an election—and to win it The Economist
Royal-Wedding Fever: The View from Windsor The New Yorker
A political standoff in the Indian state of Karnataka Economist
Four years after coup, Thais tire of corruption and democratic delays Reuters
Exposing Victoria’s Secret—and the NCPO’s graft New Mandala
EDITOR REMOVED FOR MISMANAGEMENT – NOT JUNTA PRESSURE: BANGKOK POST Khaosod English
Excess, Hubris and the Fall of Najib Razak, Malaysia’s ‘Man of Steal’ NYT
Thailand Junta’s Constitutional Masterpiece Asia Sentinel
China buys up flying schools as pilot demand rises FT
The Moral and Intellectual Bankruptcy of the Thai Middle Class Asia Sentinel
Thailand’s military junta dictating its term and future in political office Chiang Rai Times via Straits Times
Poll without people power holds no promise Bangkok Post
The Brazen Bootlegging of a Multibillion-Dollar Sports Network NYT
What Is Wrong With Malaysia? NYT
Concerns grow for whereabouts of Dubai princess following failed escape Guardian
Cambodia’s last independent paper sold to Malaysian PR firm owner FT
Why Saudi and the UAE shouldn’t bet on Trump #Trump Middle East Eye
‘Deny, distract and blame’: how Russia fights propaganda war The Guardian
Mueller Has Dozens of Inquiries for Trump in Broad Quest on Russia Ties and Obstruction NYT
Hacked messages show Qatar appearing to pay hundreds of millions to free hostages Washington Post
Inside Rex Tillerson’s Ouster The New Yorker
April 2018
Meet the Saudis Remaking the Kingdom’s Image in Washington Bloomberg
Taiwan: little island with a big heart FT
Trump likely to scrap Iran deal amid ‘insane’ changes of stance, says Macron The Guardian
An FA with a shred of decency would stop Leeds United from going to Myanmar New Statesman
Jürgen Klopp: ‘I have this helping syndrome. I really care about people’ Guardian
Ahmed Mansoor: UAE wants the world to forget about its ‘million-dollar dissident’ Middle East Eye
Richard Flanagan: ‘Our politics is a dreadful black comedy’ – press club speech in full Guardian
The continuing blockade of Qatar makes no sense FT
A decade of change The Baron (on Reuters)
Michael Cohen and the End Stage of the Trump Presidency The New Yorker
UAE rights activist Ahmed Mansoor put on trial in Abu Dhabi Al Jazeera
Ahmed Mansoor taken to court after a year in arbitrary detention Gulf Center for Human Rights
CULTURE CLASH AND CHAOS AT SILOM SONGKRAN (ACTION PHOTOS) Khaosod English
They Documented a Massacre. Their Prize Is a Prison Cell in Myanmar NYT
Under Construction: Photographs of Dubai and its fast-changing landscape Creative Boom
Statement from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on the Salisbury attack: 4 April 2018 Acting UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
A Saudi Prince’s Quest to Remake the Middle East The New Yorker
March 2018
What’s with the sanctimony, Mr Waugh? ESPN CricInfo
Bucket tipped on Aussie sledgers Sydney Morning Herald in 2002
The Ten: Hysterical Overreactions Wisden
Mailey to Murray Mints: Seven ball-tampering confessions from the past ESPN CricInfo
Australians are finally waking up to their cricketing hypocrisy The Spectator
Top Trump donor sues Qatar over leaked emails Middle East Eye
Britain’s Response to the Salisbury Attack: A Net Assessment Chatham House
Malaysia proposes up to 10 years’ jail, fines for publishers of ‘fake news’ Reuters
Mueller probe witness secretly backed UAE agenda in Congress AP
‘Only death’: How Mohammed bin Salman has torn up the rules of kingship Middle East Eye
Vladimir Putin’s politics of eternity Guardian
Qatar asks U.S. to investigate UAE bank for ‘financial warfare’ Reuters
Crown Prince of Disorder Foreign Policy
Kidnapped Royalty Become Pawns in Iran’s Deadly Plot NYT
MH370: mystery of private company behind renewed search for missing plane SCMP
Facebook data harvester’s links to US and UK counter-extremism campaigns Middle East Eye
Four Seat Piston Singles Plane and Pilot
Southeast Asia’s megacities have a choice: Shangri-La or slum South East Asia Globe
UK-US Open Skies talks hit Brexit turbulence FT
The Memory of the Embassy (British Embassy in Thailand) Read the Cloud
Blind spots in Prayuth’s election promise Asia Times
Fire and Fury in the Gulf International Policy Digest
February 2018
Qatar: Beyond the Blockade | Featured Documentary Al Jazeera
Expo 2015: what does Milan gain by hosting this bloated global extravaganza? Guardian – with a lesson for Dubai Expo 2020
This is my neighborhood in Tokyo. Medium
Hate speech, atrocities and fake news: the crisis of democracy in Myanmar FT
Chinese Tourists Are Taking Over the Earth, One Selfie at a Time Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia could be next on Fifa’s list after Peru and Spain AS.com (English)
Rakhine state: Hatred and despair in Myanmar’s restive region BBC
Special Report: How Myanmar forces burned, looted and killed in a remote village Reuters
Wat Gate, the Multi-Religious Community Chiang Mai CityLife
Is the GCC dead after the Qatar crisis? Gulf State Analytics
A guide to the Nunes memo Economist
The wrong impact Reuters on the Abraaj healthcare fund
Abraaj Group Denies It Misused Healthcare Funds Forbes
False portraits do not do justice to the UAE The National in response to HRW’s 2018 report.
United Arab Emirates Events of 2017 HRW 2018 report
Cape Town faces Day Zero: what happens when the city turns off the taps? Guardian
From dusk till dawn: in search of old-school Bangkok Guardian
Raffles Still Looms Large over Post-colonial Singapore The News Lens
AP Exclusive: AP confirms Myanmar massacre and 5 mass graves AP
Cash-strapped Foreign Office sells Bangkok embassy for £420m Guardian
Yemen’s fast rewind into politics of the past Al-Bab
Blackstone bets big on Wall St. information business with Thomson Reuters deal Reuters
January 2018
Exclusive: Blackstone in talks to buy majority stake in key Thomson Reuters unit – sources Reuters
Thailand’s corruption ranking drops from 76th to 101st in 2016 CPI Thai PBS
Anti-Qatar Embargo Grinds Toward Strategic Failure Baker Institute
Thailand: Forced Labor, Trafficking Persist in Fishing Fleets HRW
Thailand denounces Human Rights Watch Prachathai
Tiny, Wealthy Qatar Goes Its Own Way, and Pays for It New York Times
Why Test cricket is a game in decline New Statesman
Thailand’s heartland is surprisingly keen on the military junta Economist
Hawaii missile alert: How one employee ‘pushed the wrong button’ and caused a wave of panic Washington Post
Cyrille Regis: a pioneer on the pitch and the leader of a generation The Guardian
Blockchain Is Changing Our World: Here Are The Best Practical Examples Of How It Is Used In 2018 Forbes
Thailand in 2018: no neat exit strategy for junta New andala
China’s great firewall is rising Economist
How I fell for the blockchain gold rush Guardian
“You Can’t Make This S— Up”: My Year Inside Trump’s Insane White House Hollywood Reporter
Why Is Steve Bannon Torching the Trump Administration? National Interest
Donald Trump Didn’t Want to Be President New Yorker
The UAE is determined to punish Tunisians for the sin of democracy Middle East Eye
Beijing is cultivating the next generation of African elites by training them in China Quartz
2017: The year that shook Hong Kong’s democracy Al Jazeera
Will Thailand return to electoral democracy in 2018? Nikkei Asian Review