Showing 1 - 10 of 155
Thaksin's comeback fuels media chaos
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/09/2024
» Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return to the Thai political scene has sparked a frenzy across all media spectrums. Such a brouhaha is understandable. Thaksin is a political figure associated with multiple scandals, an ideal target for investigative journalists. Interestingly, this time around, the exposés are not coming from journos. Instead, they come from Thaksin's inner circle -- his close friends and former aides.
In the modern era, who holds the right to truth?
Oped, Geoff Mulgan, Published on 28/08/2024
» Hardly a week goes by without a new piece of misinformation circulating online, from the freshet of conspiracy theories unleashed by the attempt on former US president Donald Trump's life to Elon Musk tweeting the far right's false claim that the United Kingdom has a two-tier policing policy. Truth is under attack, and people know it. According to a recent global survey conducted by the United Nations, more than 85% of respondents were worried about the impact of online disinformation.
A magical weekend at Yasgur's Farm
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/08/2024
» Every year there are anniversaries marking significant events from the past and they always serve as uncomfortable reminders that I am getting a bit old. A classic example is this weekend with the 55th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. Now that's scary. Surely it couldn't have been that long ago?
Getting soft power wrong again
Editorial, Published on 11/08/2024
» As the government intensifies its efforts to promote the country's "soft power", the news that US tech giant Apple Inc had to pull a short film advertisement due to a local backlash and calls for a boycott is concerning.
Make way for the Bold Gendarmes
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/08/2024
» The Paris Olympics have sparked memories of the time as an eight-year-old I was dressed up as a French Gendarme for a Christmas concert at a church hall in England. There were four of us and we had to perform The Bold Gendarmes, a popular song in the mid 1950s by French operetta composer Jacques Offenbach. It made gentle fun of the French policemen as the opening lyrics suggest:
Games must be more sustainable
News, David Fickling, Published on 30/07/2024
» What's the biggest event at the Olympic Games?
Trump and the last stand of the US Christians
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 24/07/2024
» The past week has been a roller-coaster ride for Donald Trump.
Esports industry should be embarrassed right now
News, Adam Minter, Published on 15/07/2024
» The first-ever Esports World Cup was launched in Saudi Arabia last weekend with a record-breaking US$60 million (2.1 billion baht) prize pool.
AI's brain fog no defence for arts
News, Published on 05/07/2024
» Ever notice how science fiction gets things wrong about future technology? Instead of flying cars, we got viral tweets that fuelled culture wars. Instead of a fax machine on your wrist, we got memes. We're having a similar reality check with artificial intelligence. Sci-fi painted a future with computers that delivered reliable information in robotic parlance. Yet businesses who've tried plugging generative AI tools into their infrastructure have found, with some dismay, that the tools "hallucinate" and make mistakes. They are hardly reliable. And the tools themselves aren't stiff and mechanistic either. They're almost whimsical.
Hun Sen is Cambodia's de facto FM
Oped, Published on 14/06/2024
» Who exactly is in charge of foreign affairs in Cambodia? Judging by the last few months, Hun Sen, the former prime minister turned Senate president, appears to be pulling the strings. At least he's now the main mouthpiece.