Showing 1 - 10 of 30
Foreign aid, the powerful US soft power, is gone
Oped, Jeffrey Frankel, Published on 23/05/2025
» 'Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." When Joni Mitchell sang that line in 1970, she was lamenting the destruction of the environment, but the sentiment applies to many issues. Today, we can add official development assistance (ODA) to the list.
Asian countries will struggle to fill aid gap left by US
Oped, Mariejo Ramo, Published on 20/03/2025
» China is best placed to replace the United States as a key foreign donor in Asia but may be reluctant to fully fill the void, while South Korea and Japan may struggle to give enough, according to experts.
Singers who inspire the plant kingdom
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/03/2025
» In last week's item about Thailand's talented Blackpink singer Lisa I failed to mention that Chiang Mai University researchers have named a newly discovered flower after her. It is of the custard apple variety and scientifically named Friesodielsia lalisae.
Tit-for-tat tariffs as Trump escalates trade war
News, Kate Sullivan & Josh Wingrove, Published on 08/03/2025
» US President Donald Trump delivered on his threat to hit Canada and Mexico with sweeping import levies and doubled an existing charge on China, spurring swift reprisals that plunged the world economy into a deepening trade war. Yesterday, Mr Trump backtracked and postponed Canada and Mexico tariffs for a month.
My New Year's resolution: Give up on elections
Oped, Joe Mathews, Published on 04/01/2025
» For the new year, you might have resolved to give up booze or bonbons. Maybe you should join me in giving up elections instead. Or, at the very least, in giving up the habit of investing money, time, and hope that elections might improve our communities and our world.
Still fighting corruption
Postbag, Published on 22/12/2024
» Re: "Food safety a pig deal", (Editorial, Dec 18).
Stop all of the democracy in-fighting
Oped, JOE MATHEWS, Published on 11/09/2024
» If democracy is going to flourish on this planet, its practitioners must be members of the same team.
A magical weekend at Yasgur's Farm
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/08/2024
» Every year there are anniversaries marking significant events from the past and they always serve as uncomfortable reminders that I am getting a bit old. A classic example is this weekend with the 55th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival. Now that's scary. Surely it couldn't have been that long ago?
Hipster antitrust policy is actually conservative
News, Matthew Yglesias, Published on 11/06/2024
» Antitrust policy is having a moment. Led by Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, US President Joe Biden's administration is turning its attention to suspect activity not only in Big Tech and Big Oil, but also in Big Alcohol, Big Hotel and Big Concert. The rationale for this new push, however, is ambiguous: Is antitrust law a tool to protect consumers from higher prices, or to defend small businesses against big ones?
The rise of AI in political warfare
News, Parmy Olson, Published on 07/05/2024
» This year promises to be a whopper for elective government, with billions of people -- or more than 40% of the world's population -- able to vote in an election. But nearly five months into 2024, some government officials are quietly wondering why the looming risk of AI hasn't, apparently, played out. Even as voters in Indonesia and Pakistan have gone to the polls, they are seeing little evidence of viral deepfakes skewing an electoral outcome, according to a recent article in Politico, which cited "national security officials, tech company executives and outside watchdog groups". AI, they said, wasn't having the "mass impact" that they expected. That is a painfully shortsighted view. The reason? AI may be disrupting elections right now, and we just don't know it.