Showing 31 - 40 of 107
Ukraine has nothing left to lose in latest vote
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 24/04/2019
» Ukraine has a new president, and he's a comedian! Oh, wait a minute, that's not such a big deal. Guatemala was the first country to elect a comedian as president: Jimmy Morales, back in 2015. Although Mr Morales turned sort of serious once he took office: he's a right-wing nationalist who supports the death penalty and opposes abortion. Whereas Volodymyr Zelensky hasn't turned.
Fifty fascinating years in Wonderland
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/04/2019
» Having first arrived in Thailand a few days before Songkran, each year the festival approaches it sparks memories of those early days in the Kingdom. This year is slightly more significant because earlier this week marked my 50th year in Thailand, or to put it another way, roughly 18,250 days. That sounds decidedly scary. The frightening thing is that I can remember those early days better than the events of last week. The immature youth is now an immature wrinkly.
Poster faces prepare for the Big Day
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/03/2019
» In recent weeks PostScript has studiously avoided reference to the upcoming Great Event on March 24, concentrating instead on more pressing issues like the delights of eating insects, men wearing earrings, and tattoos in unusual places.
Clues scarce in the South
News, Editorial, Published on 02/01/2019
» Police, the Royal Thai Armed Forces and various security agencies have brought a huge credibility gap to the new upsurge of violence in the deep South. As of now, depending on which official has taken the podium, the bombings including the severing of Songkhla's iconic mermaid are political and non-political, either the work of separatist bandits or not, and have either a national or local motive -- but not both. Over the weekend, the Fourth Army commander said it might be local politicians, which seems a head-shaker.
Xi's not for turning? Don't be so sure
News, Published on 05/12/2018
» As president-for-life, China's Xi Jinping is neither bound by rules nor limited by rivals. He has upended a careful political balance by concentrating power in his own hands, and overturned a cautious approach to foreign policy, while throwing in jail anyone he views as a threat. China's most dominant leader since Mao Zedong now has 90 days to head off an all-out trade war with the US provoked, in part, by his own mercantilist policies. Can anybody convince him to make a U-turn?
The high price of delusion
Life, Arusa Pisuthipan, Published on 17/09/2018
» For almost three weeks, we have been hearing a string of updates about 40-year-old Surasit Palasak, who was charged with the rape of a 17-year-old girl. This is not a straightforward rape case, by the way, because Surasit, a native of Si Sa Ket province, has claimed to be spirit medium of Fiery-Eye Hermit. A surprise twist here is that Surasit has suffered from polio since birth, at least according to his mother.
The three gutsy peers
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 16/09/2018
» The six-month Bangkok Shutdown campaign may have given off an aura of fun and games with a positive outcome for the green shirts and a negative one for the reds.
When Asean just isn't Asean enough
News, Johanna Son, Published on 13/09/2018
» China's bullying may be the first of Asean's headaches to come to mind, but its weakest links are those that have been gnawing away at its insides -- and undermining its members' own "Asean-ness".
Religious abuse perils
News, Editorial, Published on 15/08/2018
» Friday is the third anniversary of the worst single terrorist attack in modern Thailand. The poorly investigated, badly prosecuted bombing of the Erawan shrine killed 20 people and injured more than 100. The hurried police work concluded it was the act of foreigners angry at the government's success against human trafficking. The "foreigners" turned out to be Chinese Uighurs, two of whom were arrested and are still undergoing trial. The only known Thai suspect is on bail and her trial is officially pending, unofficially unlikely.
Retract the 14 silly rules
News, Editorial, Published on 06/08/2018
» In just a few days, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has taken a tonne of ridicule about new regulations for media coverage. A 14-point set of so-called guidelines was issued to the press on Friday, especially for photographers. They order news snappers to get prior approval for every set of photos, try to completely ban certain pictures, and even decree that those behind cameras dress better than at present. Some of the orders are more unethical than the actions they seek to regulate.