Author Archives: admin

The elephants fight back. Remarkable progress on ivory and shark fin; none on rhino horn Nov 21st 2015 Economist For anybody who fears that China’s interest in elephants’ tusks could spell doom for the great beasts, there have been two … Continue reading →

Central Asia. Stans undelivered – The five former Soviet republics struggle to survive the new Great Game Jul 2nd 2016 Economist Tajikistan has the vainest ruler in Central Asia. Emomali Rahmon flies what may be the world’s largest flag atop … Continue reading →

Corruption in Guatemala. Bad apples everywhere – An ousted president is accused of masterminding kleptocracy Jun 11th 2016 Economist When Otto Pérez Molina resigned as Guatemala’s president last September and was promptly jailed on corruption charges, it was seen as … Continue reading →

Easier said than written. Aboriginals of the Arctic share a language, but not a script Nov 7th 2015 Economist Missionaries in northern Canada saw themselves as spreading the “three Cs” among the region’s Inuit peoples: Christianity, commerce and civiliZation. But … Continue reading →

DISSENT IN LAOS Radio silence. As Barack Obama prepares for his first visit to Laos, its civil society struggles Jul 23rd 2016 Economist A highlight of Ounkeo Souksavanh’s years as a radio host in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, came … Continue reading →

Hands off. So-called virginity tests are nonsensical, degrading and still too common May 21st 2016 Econimist What does it take to be a good soldier? Courage? Loyalty? Respect for the Geneva Conventions? Yes, yes, but for the Indonesian army, if … Continue reading →

Glenn Hodges June 2016 National Geographic America loved Jaws, and became paranoid about sharks. There is always with the vague fear that teeth will tug on your leg at any moment when swimming in the ocean. Never mind that there’d … Continue reading →

Why Great White Sharks Are Still a Mystery to Us Erik Vance July 2016 National Geographic Thanks to Jaws, they’re the ocean’s most iconic and feared fish. But we know surprisingly little about them. Much of what we think we … Continue reading →

Bahrain’s crackdown. Brutal king, cowardly allies – The authorities in Bahrain try to crush dissent, as America and Britain look on Jun 25th 2016 Economist Over the past decade, Britain has stripped 27 people of their citizenship on national-security grounds. … Continue reading →

For many of us, it is all about getting one of those cheap price points from the airline. THE BEST OF THEM ALL: 1. skyscanner.com – Possibly the cheapest flights. Often has local airlines not on other sites. Has good price … Continue reading →