Showing 1 - 10 of 2,799
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.
Forget births, cut Thai deaths first
Oped, Sergei Scherbov & Vipan Prachuabmoh, Published on 23/04/2026
» Thailand's demographic debate is too often framed as though the country had only one option: raise fertility or accept a shrinking workforce. That view is understandable, but for the next two decades, it is mostly the misaligned policy horizon. If the question is how Thailand can strengthen its workforce before mid-century, the fastest answer is not higher fertility, but rather lower mortality.
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.
Car scheme doubts
Oped, Editorial, Published on 20/04/2026
» The government's planned "old car for new" scheme, a campaign to provide a subsidy and soft loans to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, marks a policy push to advance the transition towards net zero. In principle, the direction sounds good.
Posturing abroad
Postbag, Published on 19/04/2026
» Re: "Trump 'not a big fan' of Leo", (World, April 14).
It's all self-inflicted
Postbag, Published on 18/04/2026
» Re: "Trump 'not a big fan' of Leo" (World, April 14).
The war and its likely consequences
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/04/2026
» As the joint attack between the United States and Israel against Iran that resulted in a wider regional conflict in the Middle East approaches its two-month mark, the directions of the war remain precarious while some of the longer-lasting consequences appear evident. Unsurprisingly, the war has been detrimental and damaging for all states and societies concerned, not just within the affected region but the wider world. Already we can start counting some of the long-term costs.
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.
China's water security ambitions
News, Amit Ranjan and Genevieve Donnellon-May, Published on 15/04/2026
» China holds only 6% of the world's fresh water, which supports nearly 20% of the global population and generates over 18% of global gross domestic product. The country faces water challenges largely due to water quality concerns and significant spatio-temporal imbalances.