A tsunami of human-made troubles in the Indonesian capital poses an imminent threat to the city’s survival. And it has to deal with mounting threats from climate change. By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN, Photographs by JOSH HANER

December 21, 2017 / Environment, Population Growth

The Tây Sơn Rebellion Published by David Lindsay · 20 mins ·  “In fact, Jakarta is sinking faster than any other big city on the planet, faster, even, than climate change is causing the sea to rise — so surreally fast that rivers sometimes flow upstream, ordinary rains regularly swamp neighborhoods and buildings slowly disappear underground, swallowed by the …

A tsunami of human-made troubles in the Indonesian capital poses an imminent threat to the city’s survival. And it has to deal with mounting threats from climate change. By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN, Photographs by JOSH HANER Read More »

Google Missed Out on China. Can It Flourish in India? – The New York Times

December 21, 2017 / India and Sri Lanka, Information Technology

“JODHPUR, India — Every month, about four million more Indians get online. They include people like Manju, a 35-year-old seamstress in this city of ancient palaces, who got her first internet phone last week. “It’s necessary for me to learn new things,” said Manju, who uses only one name. She was so thrilled to discover …

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A Tesla Too Pricey? E-Bikes Offer Entry-Level Electric Transportation – The New York Times

December 21, 2017 / Climate Change, Sustainable Development

“Electric cars remain something of a novelty, commanding premium prices and presenting charging challenges, but another kind of electric vehicle has been gaining momentum: the e-bike. Globally, electric cars — battery and plug-in hybrids — account for only about 1 percent of all vehicle sales, with about 1.15 million expected to be sold worldwide this …

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Myanmar Is Not a Simple Morality Tale – by Roger Cohen – The New York Times

December 21, 2017 / Myanmar

“This was not a handover of power. It was a highly controlled, and easily reversible, cession of partial authority. Aung San Suu Kyi’s decisions must be seen in this context. She is playing a long game for real democratic change. “She is walking one step by one step in a very careful way, standing delicately …

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Why China Wants to Lead on Climate- but Clings to Coal (for Now) – The New York Times

December 21, 2017 / China, Climate Change

“In any event, China’s climate agenda is not so straightforward. The country is the world’s largest coal consumer. Even as it is phasing out coal plants at home, it is building coal plants abroad as part of an ambitious “One Belt, One Road” initiative, designed to expand Chinese global influence. At the same time, China …

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The Internet turns 20 in Vietnam: P2 – Australian professor’s contribution – Tuoi Tre News (Vietnam)

October 24, 2017 / Australia, Vietnam Post War Advances

“In the late 1980s and early 1990s, students at ANU would use a mainframe computer for statistical work and related tasks. The personal computer, which was not powerful enough to perform such tasks then, was mostly used to type documents and send emails. Prof. Hurle shared his disturbance at learning that overseas Vietnamese students had …

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China Enshrines ‘Xi Jinping Thought.’ What Does That Mean? – by Chris Buckley – NYT

October 24, 2017 / China

“What do these changes really mean? A key phrase here is “new era,” one that Mr. Xi has used throughout the congress, which began last week. Mr. Xi has described Chinese history since 1949 as divided into two eras: the three decades after Mao seized power in a revolution that established a unified People’s Republic …

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How Mao Molded Communism to Create a New China – by Roderick MacFarquhar – NYT

October 24, 2017 / China, Fiction and Folklore

“Toward the end of his life, dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease, Mao Zedong claimed two achievements: leading the Communist revolution to victory and starting the Cultural Revolution. By pinpointing these episodes, he had underlined the lifelong contradiction in his attitudes toward revolution and state power. Mao molded Communism to fit his two personas. To use …

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Fraud Scandals Sap China’s Dream of Becoming a Science Superpower – by Amy Qin – NYT

October 24, 2017 / China

“BEIJING — Having conquered world markets and challenged American political and military leadership, China has set its sights on becoming a global powerhouse in a different field: scientific research. It now has more laboratory scientists than any other country, outspends the entire European Union on research and development, and produces more scientific articles than any …

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Xi Jinping Presses Military Overhaul- and Two Generals Disappear – The New York Times

October 24, 2017 / China

BEIJING — He was one of China’s most prominent commanders, with hopes of rising higher. So when Gen. Fang Fenghui disappeared from public view, it sent a clear warning to the top leaders of the People’s Liberation Army: President Xi Jinping was not done shaking up their once-unassailable ranks. General Fang, the chief of the …

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