Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Authoritarians' brave new cities
Oped, Robert Muggah & Carlo Ratti, Published on 23/09/2025
» Few policy ideas are as radical -- or as misleadingly packaged -- as "freedom cities". Championed by Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian elite and recently embraced by right-wing politicians like Donald Trump, the idea is to create digitally powered, master-planned enclaves of deregulated innovation.
Kremlin steps up disruptive ops from Arctic to Africa
News, Peter Apps, Published on 24/02/2024
» A week after Russian prosecutors added her and other Baltic officials to a "wanted" list for supposedly encouraging the desecration of Soviet war graves, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced her intelligence services had broken up a ring of Russian-sponsored disruptors within the Baltic states.
Pakistan again lands itself in political strife
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 17/02/2024
» Pakistan is politically on the brink again in the aftermath of fractious but inconclusive national parliamentary elections, which ended with a question mark hanging over this land of 241 million people like a political Damocles sword. Two former prime ministers, both bitter rivals and equally mired in alleged corruption, are vying for the top spot.
practise positivity
Pattarawadee Saengmanee, Published on 09/10/2023
» When life is perceived as a journey, each person has a unique narrative to share. It's always a good thing to explore new places and get to know new people. On a recent media trip to Hong Kong, I had the pleasure of meeting blind talent Sophon "Toffy" Thapklong, who always spreads his unfailing optimism.
For children, food should be equal
Life, Arusa Pisuthipan, Published on 01/05/2023
» Food -- how it is prepared and consumed -- can be a reflection of social status. A commonly available ingredient cooked in lower- or middle-class kitchens can be seen as mediocre, but the same thing prepared by a renowned chef and served in a star-studded restaurant can be a symbol of wealth.
Facebook, beware: the metaverse is really flat
News, Parmy Olson, Published on 26/09/2022
» In a few weeks' time, Mark Zuckerberg will announce a new virtual reality headset from Meta Platforms.
Polar vortex shows US not ready for climate change
News, By Gwynne Dyer, Published on 23/02/2021
» It's not funny when people die of the cold, but there was some innocent amusement to be had from the indignation of Texans unable to boil their drinking water during the Big Freeze because the power was still out. Things like that are not supposed to happen in a modern, developed country like the United States of America. How dare they?
Belarus: The beginning of the end?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 05/08/2020
» 'Stop calling me a mustachioed cockroach," said Alexander Lukashenko. "I am still the president of this country." But that doesn't sound very presidential, does it?
'Terminal' fears as Thais left in limbo abroad
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 15/04/2020
» On my last day of self-quarantine, a nurse from a public health centre in my neighbourhood called me, checking if I had any symptoms or signs of Covid-19. She was nice, trying to collect all the necessary information to make sure I am free of the virus. Afterwards, the centre will issue me a certificate saying that I've completed the home-quarantine and can resume my normal life.
Horror of the disappeared
News, Editorial, Published on 11/02/2019
» Cases of the sudden disappearance of political dissidents continue to mount. The latest such case occurred in daytime, inside a well-known Bangkok mall. Truong Duy Nhat, a well-known journalist and blogger in Vietnam, was seized and dragged out of Future Park shopping centre. He had just registered his personal details and applied for asylum through the UN refugee office. His disappearance on Jan 26 has received the usual silence from governments involved.