Showing 1 - 10 of 22
Can artificial intelligence kill imaginary friends?
Oped, Naomi R Aguiar & Marjorie Taylor, Published on 13/03/2026
» Will we someday have nostalgia for a time when children talked to an imaginary friend instead of an AI companion?
Why communities pay for mining
Oped, Christopher Rutledge, Published on 19/02/2026
» Last week, policymakers and industry executives of mining companies gathered in Cape Town for the annual African Mining Indaba. They followed a familiar script: governments would court investors, companies would promise jobs and growth, and champagne would flow as speakers tout Africa as indispensable to the global energy transition.
Bigger Asean could counter tariffs
Oped, R M Manivannan, Published on 17/04/2025
» When US President Donald Trump finally unleashed his long-threatened tariff blitz, the scale and scope were far worse than most governments expected. It came as no surprise that China would be the hardest hit, but the punishing duties imposed on most Asian countries were a profound shock.
Prepare for a future of heat waves
Oped, Renzo R Guinto, Published on 23/07/2024
» People across Asia have eagerly awaited the end of heat-wave season, which now appears to be drawing to a close. In my home country, the Philippines, the first typhoon of the year arrived in late May, lowering temperatures that had climbed to nearly 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit). Over the previous few months, the record-breaking heat led to school closures, a spike in emergency room visits, reduced productivity, and a return to remote work.
How Sino-American rivalry reshapes world order
Oped, William R Rhodes & Stuart PM Mackintosh, Published on 12/06/2024
» Tensions between the United States and China continue to flare, even as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and several other senior US officials visit the country for talks. The two sides may disagree on most things, but maintaining dialogue is an essential part of geopolitics. The breakdown in communication last year, following visits to Taiwan by prominent American politicians and the US downing of a Chinese spy balloon, was dangerous and destabilising, because when adversaries do not engage, misperceptions -- and the risk of a clash -- mount.
Loss and Damage Fund's potential
Oped, Monique Barbut & Robert R Filipp, Published on 02/02/2024
» In the vein of We Are the World, the 1985 hit that sold more than 20 million copies globally, the song Lasting Legacy was released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. The official charity anthem features 13 artists from around the world singing about unity, cooperation, and climate action.
Cities can drive climate solutions
Oped, Michael R Bloomberg & Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Published on 06/12/2023
» Nation-states, presidents, and prime ministers are the players who garner the biggest headlines and the most media attention at each year's UN Climate Change Conference. Yet for the past decade, and with far less fanfare, cities, states, and regional governments (known as "subnationals") have been implementing the Paris climate agreement's guidance, even when their national governments have not. This has meant investing in clean-energy systems and other urban innovations to reduce emissions locally and sharing what works through networks like C40 and the Global Covenant of Mayors to accelerate progress on a larger scale.
Give America a debt brake fast
Oped, R James Breiding, Published on 01/06/2023
» Since 1960, the United States has raised its debt ceiling 78 times -- soon to be 79, if Congress approves the latest last-minute deal. On a wall in Manhattan, not far from Times Square, a billboard-size display has kept a running tally of the national debt amount.
Time to leverage big data for the public good
News, Christopher Pissarides & Fadi Farra & Amira Bensebaa, Published on 02/11/2022
» The digital age has taught businesses to see people as individuals rather than just as members of certain demographic cohorts. On social media, we receive personalised ads based on our responses to previous ads, our current location, and our shopping habits. Our massive digital footprint enables companies to know precisely how effective their advertising campaigns are at the individual level and to derive immense value from this knowledge.
Could your vacation end up changing the world?
Oped, Christopher Endy, Published on 31/08/2022
» As the United States sends stockpiles of weapons to Ukraine, another transatlantic mobilisation is underway. Freed from two years of Covid restrictions and testing requirements, Americans are once again travelling in large numbers. Market observers have predicted a six-fold increase in American tourism to Europe compared to summer 2021. If you're wondering what shipments of weapons and planeloads of tourists have in common, the answer is: quite a bit. Tourism has long had a way of getting mixed up in international politics.