I'm thinking primarily in major US cities, but really this can apply to anywhere. What does "urban renewal" actually do?

I realize this is kind of a broad question; feel free to provide specific examples and answer more narrowly than the question suggests.

I tried googling this but i found no details.

I'm reading about the Rivonia Trial at the moment for a uni class and was just wondering if somebody could explain what the political situation in South Africa was like in 1963? I know the ANC was being prosecuted heavily by the National Party, but were there divisions between the whites themselves? Basically what was the political landscape like at the time? I can't really find any readings on the issue so any help appreciated.

I think this question mainly applies to those historians which study a field that is already well researched by native historians.

For example an American historian of Japanese history. Would his works have the same weight as works of Japanese historians or are they looked down upon?

Would there be a good reason to think more highly of the works by Japanese historians? Does a foreigner lose out on something simply because he was not able to grow up in that country?

Was it simply to do with Drake's skills as a naval commander, or was it more to do with factors such as weather, or preventable failings on the part of the Spanish?

I recently watched Fury and noticed in one scene an Asian soldier among the Americans. His uniform was the same and he spoke English fine (only about one line, but still) so I assumed he was meant to be an American soldier. Now obviously the Americans weren't fighting against all of Asia but it just got me curious.

And is it still funny?

According to a book I'm reading for class (The Human Web, McNeill & McNeill) Arabic numerals became important in Europe during the 11th century. The authors say that the number zero became important and place value numeration.

Could someone expand on this and explain how the arabic numerals were different and possibly better than the old system?

At least acquisition a few along the way?

(Related question...would wealthy Athenians in the fifth century BC ride horses back and forth to the Piraeus and neighboring Attic suburbs or did they walk everywhere?)

Did this cause a major population boom?

Would a physicist from the USSR be able to meet a physicist in the US, for example, to discuss theories or cooperate on research? If they could, how would this be arranged?

I think the title says it all I am curious or all the factors. I will also accept reading materials if you guys want to provide a link

I mean do we have any idea what music sounded like in, for example, the 12th century? Do we have any way of knowing what the music sounded like back then?

My highschool history teachers insists that after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the opening of the archives, there was evidence and post-revisionist theories to suggest that Stalin very much knew of the operations conducted by the NKVD and personally signed death sentences, even of people taken under protective custody.

This greatly contrasts with my view that the NKVD's authority was not kept in check and they often conducted executions without the central authorities knowing, and that Stalin gave Beriya too much freedom, which meant the secret police could remove 'opportunists' and 'careerists' as they pleased. Does anyone have anything to support either claim?