Showing 1 - 10 of 38
The case for a four-day work week
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 09/05/2022
» Having a work-life balance is a growing priority for many workers. It has come into even sharper focus as employees learn how to live with the pressure brought by the protracted coronavirus pandemic.
Climate change urgency grows
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 01/07/2019
» Climate change is global in nature but it is having an especially severe impact on Asia. Chennai, one of India's largest cities, has run out of water as the summer heat intensifies. With monsoon rains below average, four lakes in the city of 4.7 million have dried up. Residents don't have enough water to drink, bathe or wash clothes, malls have closed their washrooms and restaurants are not open for customers.
Time to tone down Taiwan tensions
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 08/08/2022
» It was a picture-perfect shot, really. That was my thought when I saw US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing side by side with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei last Wednesday. But the one-day visit to the self-ruled island by the 82-year-old American politician has created no end of tension, not only for the US and China but also many of their allies across the Asia Pacific region.
Hope for the marginalised in India
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 25/07/2022
» While the final no-confidence debate targeting Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his crew was under way at home last week, my focus was on India's presidential election. The result was widely welcomed as veteran tribal politician Draupadi Murmu made history.
The new Covid challenge
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 11/07/2022
» As many Thais return to the office, entertainment venues reopen and wearing face masks is no longer mandatory in outdoor public places, new daily coronavirus cases have begun to climb lately, notably among school students.
Japan's crucial moments after Abe murder
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 18/07/2022
» It was a bullet that some people said would change Japan forever, and it certainly had people outside taking a closer look at the world's third largest economy. For me, hearing the news that Shinzo Abe had been shot on July 8 was a shock similar to the events of Sept 11, 2001, which most people agree changed the world.
Food security an urgent priority
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 04/07/2022
» While an earlier meeting of G-20 delegates in Yogyakarta focused on strengthening the global health system, it is no surprise that the Russia-Ukraine war dominated talks at the summit of the Group of Seven rich nations last week.
Climate needs urgent actions now
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 27/06/2022
» Cities around the world are no strangers to riverine flooding. In December 2021, the four main rivers running through Kuala Lumpur hit dangerous levels, causing nearby rail lines to shut down and halting mobility across the city. In March this year, storms prompted flood warnings along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney. Thousands of residents had to flee their homes.
Biden-BTS summit fuels hope
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 06/06/2022
» Perhaps Joe Biden's pursuit to engage more with Asia has just started. Just days after a trip to South Korea and Japan late last month, his first visit to Asia as US president, the 79-year-old leader followed up with a message that touched the hearts of millions of Asians, particularly those living in his country.
Biden needs to do better in Asia
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 30/05/2022
» When Joe Biden arrived in Asia last week for the first visit to the region of his presidency, he aimed to pick up where his predecessor left off. Landing in South Korea on May 20 as events in North Korea and the Ukraine crisis loomed large, Mr Biden then travelled to Tokyo for a meeting of an alliance of the US, Australia, Japan and India that aims to counter China's growing influence.