Showing 1 - 8 of 8
2026 outlook calls for recalibration
News, Mohamed A El-Erian, Published on 17/01/2026
» For global markets, 2025 was defined as much by what did not happen as by what did. The year offered a masterclass in the power of a single narrative, with massive, concentrated bets on AI masking various other unanswered questions. Yet as we move further into 2026, the AI narrative is unlikely to prove strong enough to continue overshadowing other lingering uncertainties, many of which reflect deeper structural shifts. For investors, central banks, and governments alike, the situation demands adaptation.
Regional power rejig in new age
News, Werapong Prapha, Published on 23/01/2025
» What happens to a region when the rules of global trade no longer apply? For The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), this is no longer a hypothetical question -- it is our pressing reality. This week, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, ushering in what many see as the end of the post-liberal trade era. This era, defined by hyper-globalisation and a rules-based system governed by multilateralism, is now giving way to an unpredictable and fragmented global order.
US' protectionist trade policies are backfiring
News, Anne O Krueger, Published on 14/10/2024
» The United States has adopted increasingly protectionist policies over the past few years, raising tariffs, revising or withdrawing from free-trade agreements, and restricting trade with countries considered strategic threats. While these measures aim to exert pressure on perceived adversaries like China, there is growing evidence that economic sanctions are at best ineffective and, at worst, counterproductive.
Greenland's ice sheet cannot wait
Oped, Twila Moon, Published on 05/07/2023
» The days in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, are growing longer. Even after setting, the sun lingers below the horizon, casting a glow over the rocky coastal landscape. On sun-drenched days, when the skies are as blue as the ocean, one can admire Greenland's striking mountains. Their jagged summits contrast with the smoothness of their lower slopes, fjords shaped by the relentless force of ancient ice sheets. Here and there, splashes of fragrant brownish-green tundra punctuate the scene. Everywhere, the snow is melting, making for slushy treks through a wet and heavy snowpack.
Wider roads only bring more traffic
News, Editorial, Published on 28/11/2021
» Earlier in the month, work began on the expansion of Ratchapruek Road, a major route north of Bangkok which links the neighbouring provinces of Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi. The road, according to the Department of Rural Roads (DoRR), will see almost 50,000 vehicles pass through it every day, as it is expanded into a 10-lane thoroughfare, up from the present eight.
Stop bailing out THAI
Oped, Postbag, Published on 23/05/2020
» Re: "Ministry to cut THAI stake", (BP, May 21).
Mekong nations tighten anti-drug blitz
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/12/2019
» The Mekong region is no longer a mysterious place, as it has now become the world's main hub of illicit drugs across multiple frontiers. Last month, anti-drug officials from riparian countries -- Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, China -- and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDODC) met in a series of meetings in Bangkok to forge a new political agreement and plan that would strengthen their cooperation to address the deteriorating drug situation.
Understanding Bangkok's traffic woes
News, Danny Marks, Published on 01/10/2019
» Anyone who lives in Bangkok won't be surprised to know that the navigation company, TomTom, recently ranked the city among the world's worst for traffic congestion. The transport sector also contributes greatly to Bangkok's overall carbon emissions: a quarter of its emissions -- higher than the global average -- come from this sector and is driven by private automobile use.