Showing 1 - 10 of 2,093
Lessons from 'Moo Deng'
Oped, Editorial, Published on 17/09/2024
» The popularity of two-month-old pygmy hippo "Moo Deng" is not happenstance. It is the fruit of a laborious and systematic media campaign by the public relations team of Khao Kheow Open Zoo to promote their animals.
Give learning centres a chance
Editorial, Published on 15/09/2024
» In a striking irony, as Thailand pledged to the United Nations to protect refugee children's rights, the Ministry of Education early this month started cracking down on learning centres for migrant and refugee children out of ultra-nationalistic fervour.
Venice suffers from 'beauty curse'
Oped, Published on 10/09/2024
» Countries with great wealth or natural abundance often fall victim to their own blessings. Economists have long known that resource-rich countries can get stuck in cycles of slow economic growth, intense environmental degradation, and weak democratic institutions. But places endowed with a unique artistic and architectural heritage also can suffer from this "resource curse". Breathtaking monuments from a storied past can generate economic rents and sectoral distortions, not unlike those created by large reserves of fossil fuels and precious minerals.
Thai casinos are looming, you can bet on it
Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/09/2024
» It seems the Thai authorities are determined to open casinos as part of a large entertainment complex. The casino debate has been going on for decades during which an estimated 100 committees have been set up to mull, ponder, reflect, ruminate and even excogitate the pros and cons only to decide not to come to a decision.
Yes, let's reverse Brexit (just a bit) for Gen Z
News, Published on 07/09/2024
» What's the point of Keir Starmer's massive electoral majority if he remains hesitant to do something for young people on Brexit that's not just compassionate and sensible, but also very popular?
Does 'slacktivism' deserve its bad reputation?
Oped, Published on 23/08/2024
» Earlier this year, activists opposing the war in Gaza marched onto the Golden Gate Bridge and Interstate 880 in Oakland. They blocked traffic for hours, some chaining themselves to vehicles or cement-filled drums. Twenty-six were arrested and charged.
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.
No happy ending after Sheikh Hasina's downfall
News, Mihir Sharma, Published on 09/08/2024
» It might look like the replacement of Bangladesh's long-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is a happy ending for a country that seemed to be inexorably sliding towards authoritarianism. After all, Ms Hasina's rule had become so paranoid that she even burned political capital on persecuting Dr Yunus, widely feted for his role in rural development in Bangladesh and beyond. But, although Ms Hasina's exit was overdue, what comes after might wind up being worse.
Bangladesh, Venezuela and democracy
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 09/08/2024
» If all that mattered was economic growth, then prime minister Shaikh Hasina would still be in power. She ruled Bangladesh for 15 continuous years during which the country's income per capita more than tripled. Yet she has been overthrown by the very same students who stood to benefit most from her remarkable economic achievements.
Thai-Korea ties: From K-pop to policy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/08/2024
» Thai singer Lalisa "Lisa" Manobal, a member of the phenomenal yet now defunct Blackpink, epitomises the modern Thai-South Korean relationship thanks to her popularity and global appeal.