Showing 51 - 60 of 75
Our weapons against terror
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/06/2017
» Once in a while, Singapore appears on the world's radar but most of the time, no news is good news for the tightly run city-state. The buzz last week was all about an unseemly feud involving Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his two siblings over their late father's house.
Data deluge
Asia focus, Pathom Sangwongwanich, Published on 19/06/2017
» The idea of bringing machines to life or storing a huge trove of electronic data in a compact kiosk might have seemed far-fetched just a few decades ago, but the digital age has made the impossible become possible. A tap on the screen of your smartphone will show you how the digital revolution begins right in your pocket.
The battle for Marawi
Asia focus, Published on 12/06/2017
» On a Tuesday afternoon just under three weeks ago, a flash mob of heavily armed militants took to the streets in the southern Philippine city of Marawi. Anxious and uncertain, residents peered out their windows, recording the men with smartphones as more emerged from homes where they had laid in waiting. What Marawi's citizens saw next would horrify the world.
US confusion on Pyongyang
Asia focus, Pathom Sangwongwanich, Published on 27/03/2017
» US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently wrapped up a five-day tour of East Asia, his first official visit to the region, but a sense of ambiguity and insecurity still lingers. Several contentious trade and security issues were on the discussion table, but dealing with belligerent North Korea still seems like a pill US foreign policymakers find hard to swallow.
Taming Pyongyang
Asia focus, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 20/02/2017
» For North Korea, reeling under severe United Nations sanctions, conducting missile tests has become a regular expression of political defiance and technological progress. Just last year, showing its continuing contempt for UN resolutions, it tested at least two dozen missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
A year to remember
Asia focus, Published on 26/12/2016
» From the election of "Duterte Harry" in the Philippines to the affair of the "Female Rasputin" that has gripped millions of Koreans, it's been another memorable year in Asia. A few long-running political and security soap operas also continue to play out, most notably the drama in the South China Sea. As well, there is no sign that the tragedy of the Rohingya will end anytime soon. This week, Asia Focus takes a look back at some of the events and personalities that made headlines in 2016.
Changing US security priorities could spell opportunity for Japan
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 21/11/2016
» China's influence on Southeast Asian security will grow, with its diplomatic clout increasing if Donald Trump makes good on promises of less intervention abroad and a concentration on rebuilding the US economy rather than extending its security reach, say experts.
Test of friendship
Asia focus, Pathom Sangwongwanich, Published on 07/11/2016
» Millions of Asians will be glued to their screens, big and small, on Wednesday morning as the results of the US presidential election stream in. Much will be riding on the outcome when it comes to relations between the United States and Asia. The question is whether a new administration will pursue a path toward mutual prosperity and security or take a detour into muddy waters amid growing mistrust.
Post-election pivot
Asia focus, Published on 07/11/2016
» The great paradox of the US presidential election campaign is that it has helped achieve some of China's cherished strategic aims -- weakening the US-led post-World War II alliance system in the region and undermining a central plank of US President Barack Obama's "pivot" to Asia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
New flight path
Asia focus, Umesh Pandey, Published on 06/06/2016
» Thailand and many other countries in Asia are looking to upgrade their defence capabilities, with the sharp increase in defence budgets over the past decade attesting to greater economic strength as well as rising geopolitical tensions.