Beijing’s revisionist approach to the status quo in Southeast Asia is nowhere more evident than its “land grab” in the South China Sea and “water grab” in the upper reaches of the Mekong River, says renowned Thai commentator Thitinan Pongsudhirak.
What we need from Volkswagen, EPA, and California to make things right
As Volkswagen Group nears its deadline on Thursday to reach a comprehensive agreement with U.S. authorities over its tainted diesel engines, the Union of Concerned Scientists calls for a punishment deserving of the magnitude of its deception rather than a slap on the wrist and a nudge towards electrification — neither a suitable punishment nor remedy.
Suspicions mount in slaying of noted Honduran environmentalist
The killing of award-winning environmentalist and indigenous leader Berta Cáceres by two gunmen at her home in Honduras raises questions about the possible role of Honduran soldiers and police in her death, the Washington Post reports.
Brahma Chellaney: China’s dam boom stokes concerns in Asia
The need for China to enter into institutionalized water-sharing arrangements with its downstream neighbours is key to building water cooperation and the protection of critical ecosystems but its reluctance to do so, says geostrategist and author Brahma Chellaney, is to secure its monetary and political power as the controller of Asia’s major waters.
China Watch
China moves into “Minority Report” territory with its latest surveillance project aimed at identifying citizen threats before they strike.
Until no one dares
China expands its corruption crackdown beyond public sector “tigers” and “flies” to include private sector executives and even university officials.
China’s ‘red princess’ turned investigative journalist
Raised by the Communist party elite, Dai Qing has since become one of China’s most critical female voices. Al Jazeera’s spotlight on Probe International Fellow, Dai Qing.
China damming Lhasa River into artificial lakes
Beijing’s Lhasa River Project comes under fire from high-profile Chinese geologist and environmentalist, Fan Xiao.
Wanted by U.S.: The stolen millions of despots and crooked elites
The United States’ Kleptocracy initiative is aimed at holding foreign government officials to account and preventing them from using the U.S. as a haven for money looted from their own countries. Although solid wins are rare, tying up a corrupt foreign leader’s money in the courts is seen as a victory, writes Leslie Wayne for The New York Times.
After Mozambique’s spending, the reckoning
The Africa Report looks at Mozambique’s economic crisis — a crisis that has still to reach its peak.
China: Pictures of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project
Journalist Sharron Lovell’s gallery of striking images portray the losing end of China’s massive water transfer scheme to alleviate some by taking from others.
Last Harvest
Imagine waking up one day to be told your home and way of life is to be upended for the construction of a massive state water project?
China’s remarkable coffee
Green Beanery, our coffee business and the social enterprise arm of Probe International, introduced coffee from China to our inventory last month. Supplied by the Xinzhai Coffee Co-op, this close-range look provides a fascinating snapshot of the growers behind our Yunnan Coffee selection – China’s first crop of farming entrepreneurs.
No more major developments on the Yangtze River?
President Xi Jinping’s pledge to prioritize environmental protection and halt new development projects on the Yangtze is a promising turnaround for China’s beleaguered river pulse but don’t hold your breath.
Electric car uptake in China could worsen smog issue
China’s push to replace petrol-engine cars with electric vehicles powered by coal-fired grids fuels fears of worsening pollution problem as the country’s switch to cleaner energy lags behind its “green” car market.
Patricia Adams
Brady Yauch
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
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