Showing 1 - 10 of 43
What would happen if Khamenei falls?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 05/01/2026
» The demonstrations began again in Iran last week, only two years after the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement convulsed the country for months. However, the current protests are potentially much broader than that episode because they are driven by the collapse in Iran's currency, the rial (now 1,420,000 to the US dollar), and the explosive rise in the cost of living.
The promise and peril of Bangladesh's 'youthquake'
Oped, M Niaz Asadullah, Published on 20/08/2025
» The past year has been marked by a series of revolutions and political shocks as young people across Asia and Africa have taken to the streets, demanding accountable governments, fairer societies, and economic opportunities -- a wave of resistance that Binaifer Nowrojee has aptly termed "youthquakes".
Southeast Asia facing hidden extremist threat
Oped, Muhammad Makmun Rasyid, Published on 07/07/2025
» In May, Indonesia's counter-terrorism unit arrested an 18-year-old man in Gowa, South Sulawesi, on charges of spreading Islamic State (IS) propaganda and inciting bomb attacks on social media. Identified only as MAS, the suspect represents a deeply troubling development in Southeast Asia's struggle against terrorism: the rise of youth radicalisation driven entirely by online exposure.
Too long in power a bad idea for leaders
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 01/07/2025
» Leading an entire country for a few years is a steep learning curve, but it's useful experience. Being in power for a dozen years makes most leaders arrogant and careless, but some remain more or less functional. Being in power for more than 30 years just makes you stupid. Consider Cambodia's Hun Sen and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US strikes on Iran nuke plants risk backfiring
Oped, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 26/06/2025
» Israel and the United States have dealt punishing blows to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. "Operation Rising Lion" and "Operation Midnight Hammer" have been portrayed as precision strikes that will stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme in its tracks. But whatever the bombings might have achieved tactically, they risk forfeiting strategically, as Iran is now more convinced than ever that nuclear weapons are the only way to deter future aggression and ensure the regime's survival.
Unite to solve neglected diseases
Oped, Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, Published on 29/04/2025
» The successful collaboration between the health ministries of Malaysia and Thailand, industry partners in Egypt and Malaysia, and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to bring a new hepatitis C antiviral drug -- ravidasvir -- to market in 2022 was an important milestone. For years, a 12-week course of treatment using sofosbuvir cost between $70,000 (2.34 million baht) and $80,000, putting it out of reach for many in the Global South. But ravidasvir -- a safe and effective alternative when combined with sofosbuvir -- costs far less, averaging less than $500 per course.
A long fuse has been lit for war with Iran
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 29/03/2025
» Maybe it was the fact that we were coming up on the tenth anniversary of the treaty Donald Trump destroyed that prompted him to start issuing threats to Iran again.
Bimstec to put regional ties to the test
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 25/03/2025
» On April 4, leaders from the seven countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal will converge in Bangkok to chart a common future amid dramatic shifts in the global geopolitical landscape.
Mitigating the climate costs of AI
Oped, Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Published on 14/02/2025
» The escalating climate crisis and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence are set to reshape our world, transforming our political systems, economies, and daily lives. What is often overlooked, however, is the myriad ways climate change and AI overlap and influence one another.
MP rape case to test House
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/02/2025
» The case of lawmaker Chaiyamphawan Manpianjit who was charged by Chiang Mai police with raping a Taiwanese tourist, is the latest challenge for parliament in dealing with lawmakers accused of a serious violation of the law.