Monthly Archives: May 2017

Thailand’s junta intensifies its hunt for critics of the monarchy Economist – May 18th 2017 The only historical record of Queen Chammathewi, the legendary founder of the Thai city of Lamphun, comes from a fanciful 15th-century chronicle written on palm … Continue reading →

FOREIGN FIRMS RECOGNISING TAIWAN  Jul 5th 2018 ECONOMIST  WHEN it comes to asserting sovereignty over Taiwan, no fight is too small for Chinese officials. In January censors shut down the website of Marriott, a hotel chain, after it referred to … Continue reading →

Petty Officers – As crime dries up, Japan’s police hunt for things to do Economist – May 18th 2017 The stake-out lasted a week, but it paid off in the end. The tireless police of Kagoshima, a sleepy city in … Continue reading →

Mutineers Have Been Bought Off Again in Ivory Coast As strikes go, this one was resolved remarkably quickly and with an unusually one-sided result. The reason, quite simply, is that these strikers had guns. Just days after some 8,400 mutinous … Continue reading →

How governments in the Middle East snoop on human-rights activists – Phishing for dissidents Only a few hours after Azza Soliman, an Egyptian feminist, was arrested in December her colleagues received an e-mail supposedly containing her arrest warrant. It was … Continue reading →

MINDFULNESS CAN SAVE MONEY Reward centers in the brain activate when people are given something delicious – say wine or chocolate. It’s making them feel good. But if you promise them a delicious item in the future, there’s no reward … Continue reading →

ANC & CORRUPTION In the twilight of his unpopular presidency, Jacob Zuma has to vet his crowds carefully. Almost wherever he speaks, he risks a clamour of boos and jeers, many from members of his own party, the African National … Continue reading →

Zhejiang, China May 9-27, 2017 I am back in Hongqiao for the third time to visit my girlfriend, Anna. I obtained the most incredible flight – US$353 Johannesburg to Shanghai, 16 hours of flying time with a 4 hour lay … Continue reading →

Nickname(s): Bumi Kenyalang – Land of the Hornbills Capital. Kuching Area. Total 124,450 km2 (48,050 sq mi) Population (2015). Total 2,636,000; Density 21/km2 (55/sq mi) Demonym(s). Sarawakian Human Development Index HDI (2000) 0.757 Time zone. MST (UTC+8) Self-government. 22 July … Continue reading →

November 13 – May 7, 2017 Oasis Overland is the only company traveling the entire west of Africa from Morocco to South Africa and they offer the trip only once per year. Sleeping in a tent for over 140 nights, … Continue reading →