A new year and a new decade…this year’s stories look like being focused upon the US presidential elections, Britain’s departure from the EU, the potential for conflict between the USA and both Iran and North Korea and of course the rise of China and the continuing protests in Hong Kong….
And the small matter of a global pandemic…
December 2020
Trump’s Fraud Claims Died in Court, but the Myth of Stolen Elections Lives On New York Times
UK–EU future relationship: the deal Institute for Government – UK
Bust-ups and brinkmanship: inside story of how the Brexit deal was done Guardian
A Farewell to the Hong Kong I Loved Matthew Brooker for Bloomberg
World’s media ask how it went so wrong for ‘Plague Island’ Britain Guardian
The best photographs of 2020 – and the stories behind them Guardian
The Essex Lorry Tragedy and the Narrative of Migration New Naratif
India’s day-nightmare Jarrod Kimber
‘Christmas cancelled’: what the papers say as UK Covid bubbles burst Guardian
‘I lost all sense of perspective!’ The broadcaster whose dogs became superstars Guardian
How Sweden is being forced to abandon its failing Covid-19 strategy New Statesman
‘A peculiarly English epic’: the weird genius of The Archers Guardian
Origin story: what do we know now about where coronavirus came from? Guardian
How Boris Johnson destroyed the UK’s global standing The New European
John le Carré obituary Guardian
Brexit talks: what are the ‘major unresolved topics’ UK and EU must agree on? Guardian
Dennis Amato on Chainat, Youth Development and his Future in Thailand Thai League Central
Explainer: The potential impact of Brexit without a trade deal Reuters
Taiwan’s Turn Reuters
One country, one picture, one year Reuters
China testing blunders stemmed from secret deals with firms AP
November 2020
China’s Clampdown on Hong Kong NY Books
Thailand on the brink at the worst possible moment Nikkei Asia
A year after Wuhan alarm, China seeks to change Covid origin story Guardian
The Real Meaning of Trump’s Post-Election Defiance Foreign Policy
Thailand’s political convulsions are far from spontaneous Nikkei Asia
A Promised Land by Barack Obama review – behind the power and the pomp
How a handful of scientists developed Oxford vaccine at breakneck speed Guardian
Why Republican voters say there’s ‘no way in hell’ Trump lost Reuters
Mail on Sunday v Marcus Rashford: a sinister attack on a young black man Guardian
Ray Clemence obituary Guardian
No, not that Four Seasons. How Team Trump’s news conference ended up at a Northeast Philly landscaping firm. The Philadelphia Inquirer
Inside Thailand’s youth revolution FT
Smelly, noisy and awash with dead skin cells: life on board the International Space Station Guardian
THAI Airways plans special merit-making flight Thai PBS
Dishonesty Has Defined the Trump Presidency. The Consequences Could Be Lasting. NYT
This Might Be the Most ‘West Wing’ Election of Our Lives NYT
October 2020
Sheikh Khalifa’s £5bn London property empire Guardian
The future of Thailand hangs in the balance Bangkok Post
CURRY, ICED COFFEE, CIA: A GUIDE TO THAI PROTEST VOCAB Khaosod English
END OUR NATIONAL CRISIS The Case Against Donald Trump NYT editorial board
Turning point in Thailand: Queen’s brush with protest Reuters
Xi Jinping sets his sights on Taiwan against a backdrop of American decline in the Pacific Reaction
The young protesters taking on the monarchy are changing Thailand for ever Guardian
Dreams of a Red Emperor: The relentless rise of Xi Jinping LA Times
What Did You Expect? Trump should never have been allowed anywhere near any public office. The Atlantic
The anti-lockdown scientists’ cause would be more persuasive if it weren’t so half-baked Guardian
The Law Ought to Be King Boston Review
‘He was murdered to silence him’: a shocking film on Jamal Khashoggi Guardian
After Hong Kong: China sets sights on solving ‘the Taiwan problem’ Guardian
‘In my dreams I’m there’: the exodus from Hong Kong Guardian
Who runs Hong Kong: party faithful shipped in to carry out Beijing’s will
September 2020
Inside the airline industry’s meltdown Guardian
Harold Evans taught us what journalism at its best can achieve Guardian
Anwar Ibrahim: A long-held dream to lead Malaysia BBC
Young Women Take a Frontline Role in Thailand’s Protests NY Times
Thai republican hashtag trends after constitution change delayed Reuters
Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’ The Atlantic
How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda New Yorker
In tell-all book, Michael Cohen says Trump hired a ‘Faux-Bama’ during White House run CNN
The danger is now clear: Trump is destroying democracy in broad daylight Guardian
August 2020
The miseducation of King Rama X Sydney Morning Herald
Thailand: youthful protesters break the kingdom’s biggest political taboo FT
The evolution of Jimmy Anderson: skittish, then broken, now brilliant Guardian
Pro-democracy movement draws thousands in Bangkok Guardian
Thailand protests: Risking it all to challenge the monarchy BBC
The Story of Thai Democracy: Octobers of Tragedy Ken Lohatepanont
UAE gambles on a shaky promise that Israel suspend formal West Bank annexation Responsible Statecraft
The bookish Thai rights lawyer who challenged the king Reuters
Why has the UK done so badly on Covid-19? There are still no simple answers The Guardian
A Newsroom at the Edge of Autocracy The Atlantic
A friendship; a pandemic; and a death beside the railway NYT
July 2020
Secrets of the Boeing 747: on board the last Qantas jumbo jet Guardian
Boeing out in style: a pilot’s final flight in a 747 FT
How Nespresso’s coffee revolution got ground down Guardian
China’s Great Firewall descends on Hong Kong internet users Guardian
Why Consulum Isn’t Flinching About Promoting Hong Kong Provoke Media
Goodbye autonomy, welcome to Hong Kong, China – and we mean it now HKFP
Hongkongers face a Kafkaesque reality as censors outlaw the words of protest Guardian
Britain and Covid-19: a chronicle of incompetence New Statesman
Five ways Hong Kong has changed under China’s security law AFP
Beijing crackdown will squeeze business Australia Financial Review
Perhaps Ghislaine Maxwell can fill in some blanks for Epstein’s ‘bewildered’ friends Guardian
June 2020
A personal letter from Hong Kong Index on Censorship
Timeline: How the global coronavirus pandemic unfolded Reuters
Special Report: Into the fog – How Britain lost track of the coronavirus Reuters Special Report
‘A chain of stupidity’: the Skripal case and the decline of Russia’s spy agencies Guardian
NokScoot budget airline to cease operations Thai PBS
China’s Zoom Bomb ChinaFile
Spied on. Fired. Publicly shamed. China’s crackdown on professors reminds many of Mao era Los Angeles Times
Thai Dissidents Are Disappearing, and Families Are Fighting for Answers New York Times
PIA aircraft crashed due to human error: report Express Tribune
ACCIDENT OF PIA FLIGHT PK8303 AIRBUS A320-214 REG NO AP-BLD CRASHED NEAR KARACHI AIRPORT ON 22-05-2020 Preliminary Report Pakistan CAA.
US v China: is this the start of a new cold war? Guardian
How Will the Prosecutions Against Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor Unfold? Jerome Cohen
Emirates’ Nerve-Racking Approach To Layoffs One Mile at a Time
A look inside Thailand, which prevented coronavirus from gaining a foothold National Geographic
China charges Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor with espionage The Globe and Mail
How Europe Can Live with China Project Syndicate
The End of Tourism The Guardian
‘All lies’: how the US military covered up gunning down two journalists in Iraq The Guardian/Reuters (Dean Yates)
Wikileaks reveals video showing US air crew shooting down Iraqi civilians Guardian/Wikileaks – relevant to article above.
The Observer view: as Britain flounders, Europe charts its recovery Observer
Qatar Airways plans 25% pay cut but only for foreign pilots Airlive
‘An American fiasco’: US hits grim milestone of 2m Covid-19 cases Guardian
America’s Long Overdue Awakening to Systemic Racism Time
How Thailand Contained COVID-19 Foreign Policy in Focus
How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising Guardian
Calls to suicide hotline show Thais’ stress in downturn Reuters Wider Image
Hong Kong’s last British leader: China’s agenda ‘Orwellian’ AP
The road not taken: China after Tiananmen FT
‘We were packed like sardines’: evidence grows of mass-event dangers early in pandemic Guardian
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change Barack Obama – Medium.com
China delayed releasing coronavirus info, frustrating WHO Associated Press
HKFP Lens: ‘The students will prevail’ – Rare shots of Tiananmen Square, before and after the 1989 massacre Hong Kong Free Press
Protests may be last straw for U.S. global stature Reuters Breaking Views
Coronavirus: The mystery of asymptomatic ‘silent spreaders’ BBC
May 2020
Dominic Cummings is a convenient scapegoat for the government’s failures New Statesman
Beijing Has Lit Hong Kong’s Funeral Pyre Foreign Policy
UK suffers highest death rate from coronavirus FT
Dr Stanley Ho: Father of modern Macau Inside Asian Gaming
The truth about why Cummings hasn’t gone: Johnson is too terrified to sack him Guardian
A cold war is heating up in the South China Sea Japan Times
Did Japan Just Beat the Virus Without Lockdowns or Mass Testing? Bloomberg
The End of Hong Kong The Atlantic
National security law is end of Hong Kong’s freedom Nikkei Asian Review
The Infinite Heartbreak of Loving Hong Kong The Nation
From near disaster to success story: how Japan has tackled coronavirus Guardian
COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol EASA
‘Culture of violence’: The Thai military’s problem with abuse Al Jazeera
Xi makes high-stakes power play in move to subdue Hong Kong Reuters
Justice only belongs to the powerful Thai Enquirer
On Forgetting April and May of 2010 Thai Enquirer
As if the NCPO Never Left: Six Years After the Coup and the Persistence of Human Rights Violations Thai Lawyers for Human Rights
EMIRATES 2019-2020 ANNUAL RESULTS SHOW US$456M PROFIT Airways
How Hong Kong Did It The Atlantic
100 days later: How did Britain fail so badly in dealing with Covid-19? Observer
‘Finally, a virus got me.’ Scientist who fought Ebola and HIV reflects on facing death from COVID-19 Science Magazine
Emirates Group expects at least 18-month crisis recovery Flight Global
Experts worry CDC is sidelined in coronavirus response AP
The grand old man of Chiang Mai: the life of Harold Young CityLife Chiang Mai
McDonald’s Workers in Denmark Pity Us Danes haven’t built a “socialist” country. Just one that works. New York Times
Covid-19: The history of pandemics BBC
‘His head wasn’t in the world of reality’: how the plot to invade Venezuela fell apart Guardian
‘Sharjah Paramount’: the story of the UAE’s first cinema, a meeting place for British servicemen and locals The National
What Really Happened to Malaysia’s Missing Airplane The Atlantic (from 2019)
Keir Starmer: ‘The government has been slow in nearly all of the major decisions’ FT
The Virus Is Winning – Magical thinking won’t protect us. NYT
Inside Donald Trump and Jared Kushner’s Two Months of Magical Thinking Vanity Fair
“They’re Starting To Feel Good”: In Trump’s Mind, Coronavirus Is Already Over Vanity Fair
Five Eyes network contradicts theory Covid-19 leaked from lab Guardian
For Thais, only disorder in today’s world order Thai Enquirer
The Observer view on Britain’s relationship with Saudi Arabia The Observer
The Rest of the World Is Laughing at Trump The Atlantic
Migrants jobless and trapped under Thai coronavirus lockdown Thomson Reuters Foundation
Tourlong Thailand New Mandala
April 2020
BBC Statement on Panorama, Monday 27 April: Has The Government Failed the NHS? BBC
How the face mask became the world’s most coveted commodity Guardian
Coronavirus: UK failed to stockpile crucial PPE BBC
Revealed: the inside story of the UK’s Covid-19 crisis Guardian
Global coronavirus death toll could be 60% higher than reported FT
The months of magical thinking: As the coronavirus swept over China, some experts were in denial StatNews.com
Inside UK care homes: why the system is failing its coronavirus test FT
Coronavirus came to New York from Europe, not China, governor says Reuters
As Coronavirus Fades in China, Nationalism and Xenophobia Flare New York Times
8 ways the slave mentality shaped Thailand Thisrupt
Yuen Kwok-yung, D Lung: Pandemic Originated from Wuhan; Lesson from 17 Years Ago Forsaken Translated from Ming Pao Daily in Hong Kong
Coronavirus death toll in UK twice as high as official figure FT – free to read
Coronavirus: Learning How to Dance Tomas Pueyo on Medium
Coronavirus very likely of animal origin, no sign of lab manipulation: WHO Reuters
Misinformation goes Viral Jason Shepherd, PhD on Medium
SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped Bulletin of the World Health Organisation
Thailand Confronts its Triple Disaster in 2020 The Diplomat
AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s misdirection on virus testing, deaths Associated Press
Caught in a superpower struggle: the inside story of the WHO’s response to coronavirus Guardian
MAGA world finds its coronavirus scapegoats Politico
Coronavirus: Is there any evidence for lab release theory? BBC
The Observer view on the coronavirus errors that have cost precious lives Observor
Love and fear of dying in the time of coronavirus AFP
Thailand takes bold, but risky, step to cement its future The Asian Game
How did Britain get its coronavirus response so wrong? Observor
Protect Medical Workers in Thailand from Covid-19 HRW
US military chief: ‘Weight of evidence’ that Covid-19 did not originate in a lab Guardian
Exit, the House of Karrimor. Enter, the austere and unforgiving House of Saud Guardian
No matter how you crunch the numbers, this pandemic is only just getting started Guardian
WHO warned of transmission risk in January, despite Trump claims
We scientists said lock down. But UK politicians refused to listen Guardian
Blaming China Is a Dangerous Distraction Project Syndicate
Trump halts World Health Organization funding over coronavirus ‘failure’ Guardian
Trump’s decision to cut WHO funding is an act of international vandalism Guardian
Covid-19 in Thailand: Are we missing something? Bangkok Post
‘I feel fear and guilt’: an NHS junior doctor on the effect of getting Covid-19 Guardian
State Department cables warned of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses Washington Post
The U.S. Role in International Organizations’ Response to COVID-19 US Dept of State Fact Sheet from 31 March 2020
Trump’s Deadly Search for a Scapegoat New York Times
China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days By The Associated Press 2 hours ago AP
The Brutal Bludgeoning of Experts Endangers All of us Will Black for “Medium”
Shaky rationale for ‘punishing’ China for Covid-19 Asia Times
10,000 UK coronavirus deaths: don’t forget that this was preventable Guardian
Shaky rationale for ‘punishing’ China for Covid-19 Asia Times
Coronavirus: Photos of Wuhan after 11-week lockdown CNBC
For millions, lockdown is not novels and quality family time but food parcels and hardship Guardian
Coronavirus: who will be winners and losers in new world order? Guardian
Inside the Viral Spread of a Coronavirus Origin Theory Vanity Fair
Britain had a head start on Covid-19, but our leaders squandered it Guardian
He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus New York Times
The WHO v coronavirus: why it can’t handle the pandemic The Guardian
Why this crisis is a turning point in history New Statesman
Face masks for the public during the covid-19 crisis British Medical Journal
100 days of coronavirus Guardian
The sound of icebergs melting: my journey into the Antarctic Guardian
The vital contexts of coronavirus Journal of Medical Ethics
Britain Just Got Pulled Back From the Edge The Atlantic
English football’s blame culture makes it unable to come together Guardian
Fear Lingers in Wuhan as China Eases Lockdown WSJ
Many of Thailand’s 3,000 domesticated elephants are in danger of losing their homes ThisRupt
Death at home: the unseen toll of Italy’s coronavirus crisis Reuters
America Is Ailing—and Leading the World Foreign Policy
Covid-19 presents stark choices between life, death and the economy The Economist
CORONAVIRUS STARTED IN CHINA, BUT EUROPE BECAME THE HUB FOR ITS GLOBAL SPREAD The Intercept
Boris Johnson Needs to Learn From Andrew Cuomo NYT
‘We can’t go back to normal’: how will coronavirus change the world? Guardian
China Created a Fail-Safe System to Track Contagions. It Failed. New York Times
March 2020
The etiquette of face-masks in Hong Kong Economist
More Americans Should Probably Wear Masks for Protection New York Times
Bergamo, Italy This is the bleak heart of the world’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak. New York Times
The Meaning of Boris Johnson’s Illness The Atlantic
Virus as Metaphor New York Times
U.S. intelligence reports from January and February warned about a likely pandemic Washington Post
The Other Problematic Outbreak The Atlantic
A Glimpse of the Coronavirus’s Possible Legacy The Atlantic
Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired New York Times
Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now Medium – Tomas Pueyo
What can Britain learn about containing Covid-19 from countries that got it right? Guardian
Coronavirus: Wuhan doctor speaks out against authorities Guardian
How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? The Lancet
Dubai ruler organised kidnapping of his children, UK court rules Guardian
Censored Contagion How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media Munk School – University of Toronto
February 2020
Thailand: Dissolution of opposition party a further blow to human rights Article 19
THAI DEMOCRACY After the Future South East Asia Globe
China Ramps Up Virus Propaganda, And Stirs Even More Outrage Bloomberg
Manchester City backers are not the sort to take Uefa’s punishment lying down Guardian
Manchester City now look like a butterfly in danger of having its wings picked off Guardian
Thailand – daring to dream WomensCriczone
Do not expect too much of 2020’s fairytale… Thailand have already won by making the finals Cricketer
January 2020
How cricket is at the forefront of post-apartheid South Africa’s racial transformation Independent
Brexit, the most pointless, masochistic ambition in our country’s history, is done Guardian
Profumo: a scandal that keeps giving, even after 50 years Guardian
Boeing internal documents reveal culture of deceit to keep down costs of 737 MAX Seattle Times
AMERICA SHOULD BE REALISTIC ABOUT ITS ALLIANCE WITH THAILAND War on the Rocks
Thailand’s military-proxy government remains fragile East Asia Forum
Thai regime spooked by Thanathorn and his angry young supporters Nikkei Asian Review
The Guardian view on internet censorship: when access is denied