Showing 171 - 180 of 247
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 29/03/2024
» Amid what now has to be acknowledged as a direct non-military conflict and a geoeconomic war of sorts between the United States and China, Thailand is in a quandary. While characterising Thailand's geostrategic dilemma as a US-China binary can be exaggerated and misleading, it does have a point. As with many other developing countries in the region, Thailand will come under increasing pressure to choose between the two competing superpowers. The ability not to choose thus becomes an overarching geostrategic objective.
Oped, Published on 29/03/2024
» One of the smallest and most sparsely populated nations in Southeast Asia, the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, a mountainous, landlocked country wedged between Vietnam, Thailand and China, has long grappled with challenges associated with supplies of food. A recently released Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme joint report warns that food insecurity continues to increase in Laos, last year affecting more than a million people out of the 7.2 million population.
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 28/03/2024
» Malaysia wants to be great again, at least in foreign exchange. The nation's currency recently approached a level seen as near-catastrophic during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Authorities insist the ringgit is way too cheap and blame forces outside the country, chiefly high interest rates in the US. The remedies are modest, compared with the shock therapy meted out a couple of decades ago.
News, Published on 27/03/2024
» China's hydro generation has been essentially flat for the last three years, despite commissioning several large new power plants, as a prolonged drought has sharply reduced river flows in the southwestern part of the country.
Oped, Published on 27/03/2024
» On March 13, the United States House of Representatives passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. It is no secret that the bill takes aim at TikTok. The massively popular video-sharing platform is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance and is thus subject to the laws of the People's Republic of China and potentially to the control of the Communist Party of China (CPC), despite assurances to the contrary from company executives.
News, Published on 26/03/2024
» Losing one president in a year -- unfortunate. Losing two? A worrying signal for foreign investors. Vietnam, the economic darling of Southeast Asia, has been thrust into the spotlight again because of a series of political earthquakes. The most recent is President Vo Van Thuong's resignation on March 20, making him the latest senior official to step down amid widening probes into some of the country's top leadership.
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2024
» In the bustling border town of Mae Sot, Julia smiled when I asked her about her new job. "I am very happy with my position," said the young woman who recently completed her Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Bangkok University.
Oped, Published on 26/03/2024
» Last month, the International Energy Agency's ministerial gathering took place in Paris, while the African Union, which recently joined the G20, held its annual summit in Addis Ababa. Both fora recognised the urgent need to fulfil the commitments made at last December's United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, not least to triple installed renewable-energy capacity by 2030. But the challenges ahead are substantial.
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 26/03/2024
» There are three incipient famines in the world today, and politics is at the root of all of them. That's not unusual, actually: famines are almost always political events.
Oped, Postbag, Published on 26/03/2024
» Re: "Pita 'most favoured' to be next PM: poll", (BP, March 25).