Worthwhile reading from other sites – 2016

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

Erdogan’s revenge Turkey’s president is destroying the democracy that Turks risked their lives to defend Economist

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

‘Bowie smiled, the two sexy vulpine teeth flashed, the wonky eye sparkled…’: Bob Geldof recalls his first meeting with the genius and tells how he came to share a stage at Live Aid with his childhood idol Daily Mail

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