Showing 1 - 10 of 14
When repressive states choose terror over death
News, Alan Clements, Published on 23/01/2026
» Fyodor Dostoevsky -- one of the few writers to survive state terror and return with a psychology sharp enough to indict it.
Thailand's political trajectory in 2026
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/01/2026
» What happens in Thai politics this year and the immediate horizon will be determined by the upcoming election on Feb 8. While contesting political parties are in full campaign mode, the contemporary history of Thai polls so far in the 21st century is not encouraging. Only once in the past 25 years have voting results went the way they were meant to, in accordance with the popular will. Whether the vote in four weeks will follow the same pattern will depend on whether the conservative establishment gets its preferred outcome.
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.
Authentic intelligence rises with AI
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 16/05/2025
» As the cognitive power and proliferation of artificial intelligence take the world by storm, the case for authenticity and originality paradoxically becomes more compelling and carries higher premiums. It is now a widely accepted reality that AI is on its way to master human thought processes and proceed beyond them. This means that it will be more difficult for humans to differentiate between what comes from AI and what does not. As such, the time has come after nearly 40 years of being published -- including more than 25 of them with this newspaper -- that this column goes subjective.
Season's bleatings and other nonsense
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/12/2024
» It looks like we are in the thick of the silly season again, otherwise known as "Jinger Ben" time (Jingle Bells to the uninitiated). Considering all the depressing news this year the festive season is actually something of a welcome break. So we might as well make the most of it especially as the coming 12 months are not likely to be a bundle of laughs.
I'm with the band -- how music made me British
News, Howard Chua-Eoan, Published on 31/08/2024
» 'Wonderwall' is all I remember. The rest of Oasis is a blur to me. I was still living in New York City when the band had their global breakthrough -- and that song was everywhere. From the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, it's one of the few mid-1990s songs whose lyrics this Boomer can remember. I admired its Beatles-like off-kilter poetics, its love-will-save-the-day (if not, maybe it'll just save me) sentimentality. And Liam Gallagher's voice, while not beautiful, was pure plaintive Britpop, a plangent inflexion echoing from as far back as 1962's Love Me Do by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
The unheralded Bronx teens behind 'breaking'
Oped, Thomas Guzman-Sanchez, Published on 10/08/2024
» The Olympians competing in the inaugural breaking exhibition event at the Paris Games are sure to perform incredible feats of acrobatics while music plays. But you won't catch them doing actual rhythmic dance outside of a few shuffle steps.
China: Message from Russia on 'reunification'
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 26/08/2023
» The Ukrainians have been cheering themselves up recently by sending drones to hit targets in Moscow's business district and the more exclusive western suburbs. (The Russians, who bomb Ukrainian cities and kill civilians almost every night, refer to this as "terrorism".)
Northern Ireland's transformation
Oped, Tony Blair, Published on 13/04/2023
» Twenty-five years ago, I, along with Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, US President Bill Clinton, and the leaders of Northern Ireland's four main political parties, presented what became known as the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). That accord resolved a conflict that had caused thousands of deaths and untold grief and destruction for decades, arguably for centuries.
Plastic bag ban fails to send the right message
News, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 10/01/2020
» Thais always have a great sense of humour. Just take a look at the campaign to ban the use of single-use plastic bags at convenience stores and supermarkets which kicked off on Jan 1. On the first day, a number of shoppers heartily turned up at stores with unconventional containers such as buckets and pushcarts to load their purchases. Some of these images were shared on social media and garnered a number of smiles.