Showing 1 - 10 of 25
Iranian fighters feel the squeeze
Sunday Spotlight, Published on 11/12/2022
» Sitting under an oak tree on a mountainside in the Kurdish region of Iraq, Mohammad Kurd said he recently fled neighbouring Iran after two friends were killed by security forces and the powerful Revolutionary Guard started going door to door to arrest anti-government protesters.
Righting the ship
Sunday Spotlight, Published on 30/10/2022
» Millions of dollars in advertisements blasting schools for teaching critical race theory and assailing corporations like BlackRock for catering to "woke politicians".
The populist climate threat
Oped, Published on 04/10/2022
» Reactionary populism is now the biggest obstacle to tackling climate change. With outright climate denial no longer an option, populist politicians have increasingly positioned themselves as climate doubters and delayers, and this new approach is proving to be quite insidious. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global greenhouse-gas emissions must peak within three years to keep the Paris agreement's 1.5° Celsius target in reach; by slowing effective action, the tactics of today's populists are becoming an existential threat.
Restoring respect
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 07/06/2021
» Patama Chantaruck still remembers an unsettling encounter she experienced during her early days of living in the United States 28 years ago.
US presidential poll and implications
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/11/2020
» It is surprisingly unsurprising. Contrary to most polls and pundits, incumbent United States President Donald J Trump did not lose by a landslide in the presidential election this week. The final results are so close that both candidates, Mr Trump and Democratic Party rival Joe Biden, have claimed victory. Despite ongoing rancour and acrimony until the next US president is sworn in next January, several outcomes and implications are already clear.
From top down, are we broken beyond repair?
News, Published on 29/09/2020
» In this country, there is a section of a road in the middle of the capital Bangkok that was named "the 100-deaths curve'' because of the frequent deadly accidents there.
Growth forecast cut, Iran cases surge by 50%: Virus update
Published on 02/03/2020
» Iran reported a 50% increase in coronavirus infections, while New York City, Brussels, Berlin and Indonesia all reported their first cases. New cases were reported in Thailand and across the US. Hard-hit South Korea saw its total climb past 4,200.
Asia's century, China's year
Asia focus, Published on 30/12/2019
» Way back when 1999 was winding down, pundits were telling us that the Asian Century was about to dawn. That prediction has not yet been fully realised, but few would disagree that 2019 belonged to China. Over the past 12 months, the top headlines have been about the bruising trade war with America, defiant protests in Hong Kong against Beijing's tightening grip, and the rise of a surveillance state that is herding hundreds of thousands into "re-education" camps on its western fringes. Below, the Asia Focus team looks back on a busy and sometimes troubling 2019.
Don't back Uighur abuse
News, Editorial, Published on 23/11/2019
» Secret Chinese government documents leaked to The New York Times have provided chilling details about its "no mercy" approach to repression of Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. The revelation should serve as a reminder to Thai admirers of Chinese President Xi Jinping of the brutal and paranoid reality of his regime.
Revamp the military
News, Postbag, Published on 23/02/2019
» Let's briefly consider local geopolitics and the Thai military. Thailand needs China like it needs another coup. However, China needs Thailand for a variety of reasons. The US has had a longstanding favourable relationship with Thailand and is its most powerful ally.