Showing 1 - 10 of 45
Myanmar's 'my way' vs Asean norms
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/07/2025
» It appeared to be a done deal. During their summit on May 26, Asean leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the regional bloc. Since then, Nay Pyi Taw has raised an unexpected objection, with the junta issuing an official statement that could potentially embarrass Asean and its current chair, Malaysia.
Tariff man Trump vs united Asean
Oped, Published on 09/06/2025
» US President Donald Trump's tariffs -- especially the ultra-high "reciprocal tariffs" that he says will be reintroduced on July 8 for any country that has not struck a trade deal with his administration -- have sent countries around the world scrambling to respond, adapt and limit the fallout. Asean's 10 members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- have been among the most proactive.
Asean's united front amid global shifts
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/07/2024
» This year's Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) was notable for the unity of its members, as the bloc has faced increased pressure to align with major powers. Kudos to the humble Asean chair, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, also Laos' Minister of Foreign Affairs, who emphasised at the annual meeting's outset that amid rapid and complex geopolitical and geo-economic changes, Asean must remain united and enhance its centrality.
Will AI create more fake news than it exposes?
News, Tyler Cowen, Published on 08/04/2024
» The best large-language models can already write like humans, especially if prompted properly. Photos and images can be faked at low cost. Yet-to-be-released technology can create convincing voice simulations. There are signs that some academic papers contain traces of GPT-4. If even professors are faking it, then surely the dam has burst.
Russia retains allies, despite the Ukraine conflict
AFP, Published on 29/07/2023
» MOSCOW - Despite the military intervention in Ukraine and efforts by the West to paint Russia as a pariah state, Moscow can still count on support from several African, Latin American and Asian governments, including that of heavyweight China.
How G7 can help those with debt
News, Published on 28/06/2022
» From the weekend until today, G7 leaders have gathered in Germany to discuss a litany of overlapping global crises, including the war in Ukraine, food insecurity, inflation, backlogged global supply chains, the pandemic response and climate change. These challenges have a common denominator: All are falling hardest on low- and middle-income countries that are already facing an escalating debt crisis.
Choosing your next book
Sunday Spotlight, Published on 26/06/2022
» By some measures, the book business is doing better than ever. Last year, readers bought nearly 827 million print books, an increase of roughly 10% over 2020, and a record since NPD BookScan began tracking two decades ago.
Phuket's chance to start afresh
News, Editorial, Published on 28/03/2021
» With the prime minister today expected to announce plans for the reopening of Phuket to foreign tourists in July and the kingdom hoping to regain its crown as one of the most visited and desirable holiday and travel destinations in the world, there is understandable concern over the move.
Asean's declining common denominator
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 05/03/2021
» Asean is stuck deeper than ever between a rock and a hard place in view of its political impotence in dealing with the Myanmar armed forces' power grab on Feb 1. In an informal meeting online among its foreign ministers earlier this week, Asean not only failed to come up with common ground to broker a way forward away from the mounting bloodshed in Myanmar but displayed fundamental differences that have lowered the organisation's common denominator to new depths. The implications from Asean's sagging stance is that the pushback against Myanmar's military takeover must be carried out mainly by domestic political forces in the absence of regional effectiveness and with the limitations of global sanctions.
Stand up, 'People'
Oped, Postbag, Published on 05/09/2020
» Re: "Time to elect city governor", (Editorial, Sept 4).