Showing 1 - 10 of 17
Building infrastructure for the AI age
Oped, Diane Coyle, Published on 22/07/2025
» The London Underground, the world's oldest subway system, opened in 1863. Around the same time, London's modern sewage system was designed by civil engineer Joseph Bazalgette in response to the Great Stink of 1858, which brought parliament to a standstill. Planning far ahead, Bazalgette built the system to last 150 years. Only now, with the Thames Tideway project, is it being significantly expanded.
Tackling populism at its roots
News, Diane Coyle, Published on 10/01/2024
» As Western democracies become increasingly polarised, rural and small-town voters are regularly pitted against their counterparts in larger urban centres. While this is not a new phenomenon -- and certainly not the only factor affecting voting patterns -- the rural-urban divide is a significant driver of today's culture wars. This dynamic, which economist Andres Rodriguez-Pose evocatively described as the "revenge of the places that don't matter", suggests that the ongoing populist surge largely reflects geographic disparities.
Video game competitions should be in Olympics
News, Adam Minter, Published on 30/09/2023
» The hottest sports ticket in the Asia-Pacific right now isn't for a soccer match, an NBA exhibition game or even a swim meet. It's for the medal event debut of competitive video gaming, or esports.
Maoist or not, football looks ripe for revolution
News, Matthew Brooker, Published on 28/02/2023
» It's a fair bet that not everyone will be a fan of the government's proposed English football revolution, which will create an independent regulator and push for a more equitable sharing of the revenues generated by the world's most popular soccer league. When the idea was floated in 2021, the chief executive officer of Premier League club Leeds United decried redistribution as "Maoist collective agriculturalism". That's a little rich. If you want to see an example of a sporting industry that truly embraces egalitarian principles, try starting in that well-known socialist country, the United States of America.
The next Green Revolution will be digitised
Oped, Maximo Torero, Published on 02/02/2023
» Farming is one of the world's oldest and most far-reaching endeavours. Meeting the growing food demands of the global population amid accelerating climate change presents an unprecedented high-wire act that requires human ingenuity, good governance, and technology.
Infrastructure plays critical role in recovery
Oped, Riccardo Puliti, Published on 08/04/2022
» Physical infrastructure has a critical role to play in supporting the post-pandemic recovery and in laying the longer-term foundations for green, resilient and inclusive development. A growing body of evidence highlights its contribution to a wide range of development indicators, including employment, income and productivity.
Can Thailand's vibrant media be self-regulated?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/07/2021
» Exactly 24 years ago this week, some 40-plus publishers and editors from all over Thailand came together to form the National Press Council to challenge the government of the day, which was trying to control them through regulatory measures. The council has since then used "social and peer pressure" and its code of ethics to maintain media professionalism. It has also served as a pillar for the Thai media to preserve freedom of expression.
A digital bridge to much better social support
News, Laura Alfers, Published on 20/06/2021
» For all its devastation, the Covid-19 crisis does have a silver lining: it has shone a spotlight on important policy lapses -- beginning with the lack of social protection for the world's two billion informal workers. But addressing this failure will require more than social programmes; it will also require governments to bridge the digital divide.
Solution to pollution
Oped, Postbag, Published on 30/12/2020
» It's that time of year again -- air pollution, burning fields and useless attempts to control both. Banning aged vehicles won't do it, nor will legislation prohibiting farmers from burning crop residue.