Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Impostors' role in modern warfare
News, Diego Gambetta & Thomas Hegghammer, Published on 18/12/2024
» Israel's detonation of thousands of pagers held by Hezbollah fighters and loyalists in mid-September will be remembered as one of the most ingenious plots in the history of spycraft. It is also a reminder that the most powerful weapon in war is not a fighter jet, a drone, or even artificial intelligence, but rather something much older: impersonation.
Exploding pagers: What was the point?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 20/09/2024
» The exploding pagers that killed at least 12 people and injured 2,800 others in Lebanon and some adjacent places on Tuesday were mostly just a new wrinkle on the exploding cellphones that Israel has used to assassinate its opponents in the past, but there was one major innovation.
It's getting to be tough at the top
Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/08/2024
» In these turbulent times around the globe you wonder why anyone would aspire to be a prime minister, president, dictator, despot, tyrant or whatever. Even in Amazing Thailand it can't be much fun being the PM. Just imagine waking up every morning and realising you are responsible for 71 million Thai citizens, all probably with some kind of grievance. Most of us have enough problems looking just after ourselves … and maybe the dog.
French space war games point to orbital arms race
News, Peter Apps, Published on 25/03/2024
» As a UN-led military force moved in to protect the independent nation of Mercury from rival Arnland in French war games this month, the most critical battle was playing out not on land, at sea or in the air, but in orbit.
America is fuelling Chinese techno-nationalism
Oped, Keyu Jin, Published on 12/03/2022
» Although the American-born skier Eileen Gu became a darling of the Chinese public during the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China trained many of its sports champions at home, through its juguo (whole nation) sports regime. And now China is applying the juguo approach -- deploying massive resources to achieve a strategic objective or build national prestige -- to attaining world-class technological prowess.
Why do we even count down to the New Year?
Oped, Alexis McCrossen, Published on 29/12/2021
» Few people counted down to anything until the 1960s -- and yes, that included the new year. Celebrations and midnight kisses on Dec 31, of course. Countdowns, no. How, then, did the countdown go from almost non-existent to ubiquitous in the latter half of the 20th century? And why are we so drawn to them now, especially to mark one year's end and another's beginning?
Army chief paranoid?
News, Postbag, Published on 28/09/2019
» Re: "Apirat says B12bn of US arms 'a necessity'", (BP, Sept 26). Every time I read the army's attempt to justify their need for more extremely violent weapons, I get the feeling that the main qualification necessary for the head of the army is that he needs to be extremely paranoid. Who does he think is going to attack us? The last attack on the army that I remember was some guy who rammed a tank with his taxi at or near the Royal Plaza. Is the army commander afraid that it will be a whole fleet of taxis next time?
US president who loved the Big Mango
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/07/2019
» Last week it was the moon landing, today it's another 50th anniversary, US President Richard Nixon visiting Thailand. Just a week after congratulating the US astronauts on the lunar triumph, Mr and Mrs Nixon landed in Bangkok on July 28, 1969, on their way to embattled South Vietnam.
Space 2018: Better to go back out late rather than never
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 06/01/2018
» It's going to be a good year in space, and the new players are aiming high. The Indian Space Research Organisation intends to send Chandrayaan-2, an uncrewed orbiter, lander and rover, to the moon in March.