Showing 1 - 10 of 121
France stumbles through an autumn of woe
Oped, Published on 05/11/2025
» France has faced a tumultuous autumn. The usual strikes, government shuffles, and sensational events -- from a high-profile daylight heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum to the imprisonment of a former president -- have characterised a disquieting period.
Southeast Asia amid the US-China rift
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 03/10/2025
» The rivalry between the United States and China has become the defining contest of the 21st century. Barely two decades ago, Washington and Beijing were partners in prosperity. America's support for China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 epitomised the high-water mark of engagement, reflecting the belief that economic integration would lead to greater political cooperation. Today, that partnership has morphed into suspicion and confrontation. Relations between the United States and China have deteriorated so swiftly that many observers now describe them as locked in a "new Cold War". The more pressing question, however, is not whether this analogy holds, but whether confrontation can be managed short of outright conflict.
Bots in motion
Oped, Postbag, Published on 20/08/2025
» Re: "First-ever humanoid robot games begin in China", (World, Aug 16).
Philanthropy in an era of declining development aid
Oped, Published on 02/04/2025
» Philanthropy will never replace public aid, but it can be a powerhouse if we use it right. With global development funding under strain, European aid budgets being redirected towards defence and rearmament, and the United States rethinking foreign assistance altogether, the aid community has been left scrambling.
Trump to challenge global order
Oped, Published on 22/11/2024
» With President Donald Trump back in the White House, the fate of the liberal international order created by the US at the end of World War II is at risk.
Level playing field, please
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/09/2024
» As the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games have drawn to a close, the nation is still rejoicing at seeing so many Thai athletes bring home medals while breaking a few records along the way.
Economic might and Olympic performance
Oped, Published on 27/08/2024
» Why do certain countries dominate the Olympics? The answer may lie in the correlation between athletic performance and GDP. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games were a case in point: the top seven medal winners -- the United States, China, Japan, Australia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom -- are all among the world's 20 largest economies.
AI phones from Google, Apple will erode trust
News, Published on 17/08/2024
» Alphabet Inc's Google is racing to stuff its products with the most advanced artificial intelligence features, including some that will make you question everything you see and hear online.
Is AI a curse or a blessing for education?
Oped, Published on 17/08/2024
» My collegiate rowing coach at the University of Western Ontario was an eccentric West German named Dr Volker Nolte, a stocky and imposing figure who was only funny when he didn't mean to be. He was a biomechanics wizard, obsessing over the countervailing forces of the rower and shell, currents and winds, blades and water. In the early 80s, as part of his doctoral research, he designed a sliding rigger that moved along the hull of the boat on slides in tandem with the rower, which, when compared to a fixed rigger, effectively doubled the force and propulsion of every stroke. It made second-tier rowers competitive with the best in the world.
Many faces of Olympic triumph
News, Published on 15/08/2024
» I was a messy Olympics fan. During the Games in Paris, I rooted for several national delegations. Because I was born in the Philippines, I cheered for the Filipinos. I'm ethnic Chinese, so I was thrilled by the achievements of China, Hong Kong and, uhm, Chinese Taipei. I'm an American citizen, so I'm happy when Team USA is No 1 (or 2 or 3). I live in London, so whenever the UK medalled, I experienced frissons of delight.