Showing 1 - 10 of 173
Japan's Takaichi wins strong new mandate
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 19/02/2026
» A political Tsunami swept across Japan as recent national elections delivered a resounding victory for the incumbent party and its maverick leader, Sanae Takaichi. Though the outcome was assumed, her stunning triumph in the Feb 8 election was unexpected.
Moderate global growth masks regional strains
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 14/01/2026
» Global economic growth still continues, but at a moderate pace. That's the verdict from the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026, which predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7% this year, or slightly below the 2.8% estimated for 2025, but less than the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%.
A bright spot in global landscape
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 02/01/2026
» It's time to consult the crystal snow globe and try to peer ahead to what may be on the horizon for the new year. Without question 2025 has been tumultuous but the year ahead holds cautious promise to finally solve some political crises mixed with some epic events on tap.
Syria's tragic saga a long way from being over
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 12/12/2025
» Just one year ago Syria's brutal and seemingly eternal Assad family dictatorship was toppled.
Venezuela: Performative purging
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 09/12/2025
» 'If you're on a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl or whatever, headed to the United States, you're an immediate threat to the United States," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week. So it's perfectly reasonable for the US armed forces to kill everybody on that boat (including a "double tap" on any survivors in the water).
Gaza is being offered a big historic chance
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 27/11/2025
» The UN Security Council has approved a landmark American-sponsored resolution which just may give long suffering Gaza its final chance for peace and reconstruction. The US resolution enshrines Washington's 20-point plan for Gaza; the current ceasefire, the establishment of a Board of Peace and backs the creation and deployment of an international stabilisation force for the war-ravished territory. There were 13 votes for, none against, and two abstentions, Russia and China.
AI as Asia's new growth engine?
Oped, Lee Jong-wha, Published on 27/11/2025
» Two decades after globalisation fuelled a global economic boom, growth has shifted onto a more subdued path, where it is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Beyond the immediate shock of fragmenting trade and investment ties -- a result of rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between the United States and China -- lie structural headwinds, including population ageing, stagnant productivity, and the growing costs of inequality and natural disaster. These challenges strike at the heart of Asia's growth model.
Socialism's novel brand of nomenclature
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 18/11/2025
» On Nov 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed. On a very ordinary night, thousands of East Germans started crossing the dividing barrier between the communist East and capitalist West Berlin after the East German regime had suddenly opened tightly controlled border crossings. In a matter of hours, history was made. Throngs of people soon swamped the Wall and then started smashing the hated communist barrier into concrete rubble.
How to give expert advice in transformational times
Oped, Robert Lempert, Published on 11/11/2025
» I am a policy analyst. My job is to provide expert information to decision makers and the public to help improve public policy. This job, always hard, has become harder.
France stumbles through an autumn of woe
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 05/11/2025
» France has faced a tumultuous autumn. The usual strikes, government shuffles, and sensational events -- from a high-profile daylight heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum to the imprisonment of a former president -- have characterised a disquieting period.