China jails a video star. Her crime? Singing the national anthem. - Inkstone

China jails a video star. Her crime? Singing the national anthem. - Inkstone: At 21 years old, Yang Kaili is one of China’s biggest internet stars.
...

Qatar demands release of four Qataris disappeared in Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia News | Al Jazeera

Qatar demands release of four Qataris disappeared in Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia News | Al Jazeera: Fate of four Qatari nationals forcibly disappeared in Saudi Arabia since last year is still unknown, rights group says.

Turkish police have audio of 'Khashoggi killing in consulate' | Jamal Khashoggi News | Al Jazeera

Turkish police have audio of 'Khashoggi killing in consulate' | Jamal Khashoggi News | Al Jazeera: New details emerge over the disappearance of Khashoggi, who was allegedly killed in Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Trump administration proposes restrictions to protests in D.C. public spaces - The Boston Globe

Trump administration proposes restrictions to protests in D.C. public spaces - The Boston Globe: Some of the suggested changes would largely cut off the north sidewalk of the White House and could deter demonstrations on the National Mall, site of some of the country’s most iconic protests.

Study: Malaysia's income gap doubled in two decades - Nation | The Star Online

Study: Malaysia's income gap doubled in two decades - Nation | The Star Online: KUALA LUMPUR (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Despite a reduction in official income inequality, the absolute earnings gap between Malaysia's top 20 per cent and their countrymen has nearly doubled, putting more Malaysians in relative poverty.

Ma'ruf Amin: Tahun 2019, Seluruh Produk Wajib Bersertifikat Halal - News Liputan6.com

Ma'ruf Amin: Tahun 2019, Seluruh Produk Wajib Bersertifikat Halal - News Liputan6.com: Ma'ruf mengatakan saat ini sistem halal tidak hanya ada di Indonesia, tetapi juga sudah menjadi isu global.

Trump Embraces Foreign Aid to Counter China’s Global Influence - The New York Times

Trump Embraces Foreign Aid to Counter China’s Global Influence - The New York Times: The move is a significant reversal for the president. A new agency will provide $60 billion in financing aimed at blocking Beijing’s ambitions.

‘Shocking and Abhorrent’ Abuse Rampant in U.K. Parliament, Report Says - The New York Times

‘Shocking and Abhorrent’ Abuse Rampant in U.K. Parliament, Report Says - The New York Times: An inquiry into sexual harassment in the House of Commons describes a “master and servant” culture, with lawmakers accorded an “almost godlike status.”

Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination - The New York Times

Kenyans Say Chinese Investment Brings Racism and Discrimination - The New York Times: Episodes involving discriminatory behavior by the region’s growing Chinese work force have unsettled many Kenyans, particularly at a time when their government seeks closer ties with China.

Native American women candidates seek historic wins in November - The Washington Post

Native American women candidates seek historic wins in November - The Washington Post: In a year of firsts for many women, a shot at a first House seat for a Native American

‘Hyperalarming’ study shows massive insect loss - The Washington Post

‘Hyperalarming’ study shows massive insect loss - The Washington Post: Insects are vanishing even in a pristine tropical forest, and an ecologist calls this "one of the most disturbing articles I have ever read.”

Myanmar’s Military Said to Be Behind Facebook Campaign That Fueled Genocide - The New York Times

Myanmar’s Military Said to Be Behind Facebook Campaign That Fueled Genocide - The New York Times: With fake pages and sham accounts, the military targeted the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority group, said former military officials, researchers and civilian officials.

Indonesian President Evokes Communism’s Ghost | Human Rights Watch

Indonesian President Evokes Communism’s Ghost | Human Rights Watch: Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has once again evoked the dangerous and utterly fictitious threat of communism for apparent political purposes. On Friday, he publicly warned the nation of an existential threat posed by what he described as “communism and the legacy of the PKI (Communist Party of Indonesia).”

Rohingya crisis: Myanmar’s ‘Buddhist bin Laden’ Wirathu blasts international community | South China Morning Post

Rohingya crisis: Myanmar’s ‘Buddhist bin Laden’ Wirathu blasts international community | South China Morning Post: Firebrand monk criticises calls to bring the country’s generals to justice at the International Criminal Court

I Listened to All Six Trump Rallies in October. You Should, Too

I Listened to All Six Trump Rallies in October. You Should, Too: Susan B. Glasser writes about Donald Trump’s recent rallies, and why his inflammatory rhetoric should not be ignored, nearly two years into his Presidency.

Chinoiresie | Confessions Made in China

Chinoiresie | Confessions Made in China: Globally, mass media face a difficult dilemma: how to report on the Chinese spectacles of prisoners forced to perform fake, scripted confessions? The Chinese authorities produce these confessions in order to create a new ‘truth’, one that is to be disseminated through Chinese state media and, if possible, through foreign mass media, and social media as well. Chinese mass media must, of course, simply obey orders to present, and even assist in the arrangement of these new Orwellian ‘truths’. But what should mass media outside of the control of Chinese state authorities do with these grim perfor

Subversive Islam

Subversive Islam -: Robert W. Hefner on Religion as Critique: Islamic Critical Thinking ew fields of social inquiry have undergone as profound and recurring a series of transformations in recent decades as has the discipline of Islamic studies. Once a

Elizabeth Warren builds expansive Democratic campaign effort ahead of likely 2020 bid - The Washington Post

Elizabeth Warren builds expansive Democratic campaign effort ahead of likely 2020 bid - The Washington Post: Her organization to push the party’s midterm candidates is also aimed at states that will be influential in the 2020 presidential contest.

Opinion | Them’s Fightin’ Words: 10 Great Protest Songs - The New York Times

Opinion | Them’s Fightin’ Words: 10 Great Protest Songs - The New York Times: To the barricades! And don’t forget the lyric sheet! With midterm elections approaching, a look back at some anthems and ditties that have challenged the status quo.

Opinion | Democrats Are Blowing It, Again - The New York Times

Opinion | Democrats Are Blowing It, Again - The New York Times: Liberals have become Donald Trump’s unwitting allies.

Hong Kong Bars Another Democracy Supporter From Running for Office - The New York Times

Hong Kong Bars Another Democracy Supporter From Running for Office - The New York Times: Lau Siu-lai, a college lecturer, won a seat in the city’s legislature in 2016, but was disqualified for the way she took her oath of office.

Account of Police Brutality Gives Rise to a #MeToo Moment in China - The New York Times

Account of Police Brutality Gives Rise to a #MeToo Moment in China - The New York Times: The case of Sun Shihua, a female lawyer who described being beaten and forced to submit to a strip search in Guangzhou, has prompted a debate about discrimination against women.

Facebook Says Russian Firms ‘Scraped’ Data, Some for Facial Recognition - The New York Times

Facebook Says Russian Firms ‘Scraped’ Data, Some for Facial Recognition - The New York Times: On the same day the company announced it had purged domestic sources of disinformation, it said it had blocked two companies, one of them with Russian government clients.

Museums Forced to Reassess Saudi Ties Amid Uproar Over Journalist’s Fate - The New York Times

Museums Forced to Reassess Saudi Ties Amid Uproar Over Journalist’s Fate - The New York Times: Cultural institutions in the United States have welcomed relationships with Saudi Arabia to help build understanding and fund ambitious programs.

The Leaders Who Unleashed China’s Mass Detention of Muslims - The New York Times

The Leaders Who Unleashed China’s Mass Detention of Muslims - The New York Times: A trail of online evidence establishes how President Xi Jinping and other senior officials adopted a tough new policy to assimilate ethnic minorities.

Kushner Paid No Federal Income Tax for Years, Documents Suggest - The New York Times

Kushner Paid No Federal Income Tax for Years, Documents Suggest - The New York Times: Confidential documents reviewed by The Times indicate that Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, probably paid little or no income tax from 2009 to 2016.

Opinion | Harvard and the Myth of the Interchangeable Asian - The New York Times

Opinion | Harvard and the Myth of the Interchangeable Asian - The New York Times: We’re mistaken for each other, but we’re not mistaken about ourselves.

Khashoggi disappearance spurs Western walkout of Saudi 'Davos in the Desert' meet, upending kingdom's modernization plans - The Washington Post

Khashoggi disappearance spurs Western walkout of Saudi 'Davos in the Desert' meet, upending kingdom's modernization plans - The Washington Post: Western companies are distancing themselves from Saudi Arabia over the disappearance of dissident journalist -- complicating the kingdom's plans for economic modernization

Chinese-American parents invest in a multilingual future for their children | South China Morning Post

Chinese-American parents invest in a multilingual future for their children | South China Morning Post: Ambitious parents are increasingly hiring Chinese-speaking nannies to boost their children’s Mandarin language skills

North Korean Crackdown on Cellphone Use Causes Spike in Corruption

North Korean Crackdown on Cellphone Use Causes Spike in Corruption: Government officials use brokers to collect bribes in advance of illegal calls in sophisticated web of corruption