Showing 1 - 10 of 3,083
Myanmar's robbery of a democracy
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 24/04/2026
» Five long years after Myanmar's military seized power on 1 Feb 2021, what has taken place in recent weeks amounts to a delayed fait accompli. Led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, then commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the coup diverged from its traditional playbook seen in 1962 and 1988, when tanks rolled and the military ruled by brute force. This time, the takeover nearly unravelled amid a nationwide uprising that evolved into a civil war, waged by an armed and determined resistance comprising the civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG), the People's Defence Forces (PDFs), and a constellation of Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs).
How can we future-proof the global economy?
Oped, Mohamed A El-Erian, Published on 23/04/2026
» An uncomfortable reality is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The global economy is in a period of "more frequent and violent shocks", as Nobel laureate Michael Spence puts it. Instead of facing isolated and temporary disruptions, we are confronting a structural shift towards unsettling volatility, deepening fragmentation, and a wider dispersion of outcomes for countries, companies, and households. The old world is gone, and virtually everyone risks losing out in the new one. The question is by how much and what to do about it.
Rupture, reform and how to rebuild
Oped, Robert F Godec, Published on 23/04/2026
» The world is teetering on the edge of a cliff. Russia, China, and the United States are using their military and economic power in the ruthless pursuit of power and domination. In doing so, they have ruptured an international system that for 80 years was characterised by rules, institutions, and a measure of cooperation.
Chokepoints expose fragility of our global order
Oped, Todd G Buchholz, Published on 22/04/2026
» Most schoolchildren learn that the Earth is roughly 40,000km around. They do not learn that the global economy depends on just 160 of those kilometres.
The generational shift in learning needs addressing
News, Mariano Miguel Carrera, Published on 22/04/2026
» Picking mangoes at home recently highlighted the generational shift in learning. My sons, 10 and 13, were not interested in the mangoes. After years of pushing, pleading and prompting, climbing the trees is a problem for them. Interest muted. They occasionally pick mangoes with a rod to eat, but the joy of climbing trees and picking mangoes by hand is not there. Convenience, interest and options make what was once a rite of passage, a joy, a form of exercise, learning, a communion with nature and more, a mundane -- meh.
Crypto push undermines US power
Oped, Jayati Ghosh, Published on 20/04/2026
» The Ouroboros, the ancient image of a serpent devouring its own tail, has long symbolised self-defeating strategies. It is thus an apt metaphor for US President Donald Trump's current policies. His reckless and illegal war against Iran is the clearest example, but his administration's enthusiastic embrace of crypto currencies represents a subtler, slower-burning expression of the same self-destructive tendency.
Universities face age shift
News, Editorial, Published on 18/04/2026
» The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) is not a coveted portfolio in politics. Political parties have treated this portfolio as a consolation prize and often appoint new politicians to look after the country's higher education affairs.
It's all self-inflicted
Postbag, Published on 18/04/2026
» Re: "Trump 'not a big fan' of Leo" (World, April 14).
Oil shock risks wider chain reaction
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/04/2026
» There is no such thing as a free lunch. When global oil prices rise sharply, as they are doing now, someone must bear the cost. Some countries choose to absorb it through government support, as in Japan, while others pass the burden on to consumers, as in Thailand. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong; each carries different economic consequences. Policymakers must decide which set of outcomes is more acceptable and act accordingly.
A new look at 'gambling'
News, Published on 14/04/2026
» The Sports Authority of Thailand's removal of snooker from the list of prohibited gambling activities under the Gambling Act 1935 seems to be good move, if not long overdue.