Showing 1 - 10 of 3,521
Hormuz crisis reveals energy resilience gap
News, Laura Carvalho, Published on 18/04/2026
» The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered what the International Monetary Fund calls a "global yet asymmetric" rupture, disrupting the flow of roughly one-quarter of oil, one-fifth of liquefied natural gas, and one-third of fertiliser supplies. Energy and fertiliser prices have risen, supply chains have rerouted, and financial conditions have tightened unevenly around the world.
Chinese economy turns a corner
News, Stephen Jen, Published on 18/04/2026
» China has turned a corner, finally. Five years after Beijing began cracking down on its bloated property sector, its economy is now on a much more sustainable path anchored in high-quality growth -- and the correction has left far fewer scars than many feared.
Myanmar looks east again in search of legitimacy
Oped, Larry Jagan, Published on 17/04/2026
» Myanmar understands it needs to reach out to the world if it is to end its isolation and roll back the sanctions much of the West has levied against it. To this end, the men in green, now in civilian clothes, are seeking the support of traditional allies -- China and Asean, especially Thailand -- as well as Bangladesh and Pakistan, in an effort to reset foreign policy and regain international acceptance.
When will the IMF ever learn?
Oped, Timothy Kaldas, Published on 16/04/2026
» This year's International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings come at a time of heightened economic uncertainty and intense scrutiny of the institution's capabilities and approach. Critics on the left argue that the IMF imposes regressive austerity measures on borrowers, exacerbating poverty, hampering economic growth, and undermining their ability to achieve debt sustainability. On the right, US President Donald Trump's administration has accused the IMF of "mission creep," claiming that it has strayed from its core mandate of maintaining macroeconomic stability.
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.
Rethink Asean-Pakistan relations
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/04/2026
» Pakistan became an Asean sectoral dialogue partner in 1993. Yet for more than three decades, the grouping's engagement with this nuclear-armed state has remained limited. The time has surely come to reconsider its status and elevate it to a full dialogue partner.
Suu Kyi, media bias and morality
News, Fergus Harlow, Published on 11/04/2026
» History rarely collapses in an instant; more often, it is quietly rewritten until reality itself feels negotiable. In the years leading up to Myanmar's 2021 coup, a story took shape in the international imagination -- one that cast Aung San Suu Kyi not as a constrained civilian leader navigating a military-dominated state, but as a symbol of moral failure.
Temple aid halt signals deeper crisis
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 11/04/2026
» Wat Suan Kaew in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district has announced a temporary suspension of its long-running social charity programmes for needy groups due to mounting financial pressures.
The day the US became Britain at Suez
Oped, Philip J Cunningham, Published on 09/04/2026
» The world's focus is on the US-induced debacle in the Strait of Hormuz, but it's another narrow strait that sums up the current state of US power in the world: Suez.
Modern-day mispricing of war
Oped, Antara Haldar, Published on 09/04/2026
» In the space of just a few weeks, the throttling of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has revealed the true nature of the US-Israeli war with Iran. This is no regional conflict, because the entire world is being invoiced. While the size of the bill remains to be determined, it is already obvious that the belligerents won't be the only ones paying the tab.