Showing 1 - 10 of 239
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/02/2026
» Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. Cheerful news is an increasingly rare commodity these days. It all seems to be gloom and doom and hardly portends a joyful 2026. It can get a bit wearying grappling with news reports featuring contradictions, cover-ups and cock-ups, often accompanied by half-truths, prevarications and porky pies. But this is the world we now live in.
People’s Party’s diplomatic 'elegance' rings hollow
Oped, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Published on 16/01/2026
» On Jan 11, the People’s Party held a high-profile event to showcase its “People’s Government”, offering a glimpse of its proposed executive leadership. Among the key speakers was Pisan Manawapat, a former diplomat and senator, designated as the party’s future foreign minister.
Going beyond multilateralism
Javier Solana & Angel Saz-Carranza, Published on 19/12/2025
» The world is on the cusp of a profound geopolitical restructuring, as escalating great-power rivalries erode the multilateral structures that have supported the global order since the mid-20th century.
Opportunity knocks
Postbag, Published on 14/12/2025
» Re: "Expert urges cutting reliance on US buyers", (Business, Sept 2) and "China begins push for Comac jets in Vietnam", (Business, Jan 22).
Trump's doubling of tariffs is hitting India hard
Oped, Shashi Tharoor, Published on 05/12/2025
» US President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on a wide range of Indian goods, from a steep 25% to a catastrophic 50%, is reshaping India's export economy. Half of what India sells to the United States -- its largest trading partner -- is now prohibitively expensive, and ordinary Indians are suffering as a result.
Thailand–Japan ties at a crossroads
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/11/2025
» For the past four decades, Thailand-Japan ties have been smooth as silk, reflecting the Japanese concept of ishin denshin, an idiom that describes communication without words. That idiom reflects a very good relationship, a deep mutual understanding between the two parties.
Can India's service sector survive US disruption?
Oped, Manishi Raychaudhuri, Published on 21/10/2025
» India's long-vaunted services sector has been boosted in recent years by the exponential growth of Global Capability Centres, multinational corporations' offshore hubs. However, President Donald Trump's administration is now threatening to dramatically alter the landscape for Indian workers, even as GCCs face several domestic challenges.
Electricity will decide who wins the great AI race
News, Jeffrey Wu, Published on 20/10/2025
» The next stage of the global AI race will be decided not by algorithms or chips, but by electricity -- and that puts China at a distinct advantage. While Western tech giants are emphasising closed, capital-intensive models that demand enormous computing power, China is embracing open source AI and massively expanding its renewable- and nuclear-energy capacity, thereby positioning itself to deploy powerful AI technologies at scale without breaking the bank.
Reimagining agriculture for young people
Oped, Maximo Torero, Published on 22/09/2025
» Is the agriculture sector fated to die out? Globally, the average age of farmers has been steadily creeping up, approaching 60 in developed countries. This leaves the sector, which supplies roughly one-quarter of jobs worldwide, in a bind: Unless it attracts large numbers of young workers, it could decline precipitously.
Floods 'a recurring nightmare'
Oped, George G van der Meulen & Chamniern Vorratnchaiphan, Published on 16/09/2025
» Thailand has faced floods for more than a century. Some years are worse than others, but the pattern is consistent. The catastrophic 2011 floods remain the most painful reminder: according to the World Bank, they caused US$46.5 billion (1.5 trillion baht) in economic losses, displaced 13 million people, and claimed approximately 800 lives. Much of the country's industrial heartland was submerged for months, severely impacting global supply chains.