Showing 1 - 10 of 2,413
When will the IMF ever learn?
Oped, Timothy Kaldas, Published on 16/04/2026
» This year's International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings come at a time of heightened economic uncertainty and intense scrutiny of the institution's capabilities and approach. Critics on the left argue that the IMF imposes regressive austerity measures on borrowers, exacerbating poverty, hampering economic growth, and undermining their ability to achieve debt sustainability. On the right, US President Donald Trump's administration has accused the IMF of "mission creep," claiming that it has strayed from its core mandate of maintaining macroeconomic stability.
Oil shock risks wider chain reaction
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/04/2026
» There is no such thing as a free lunch. When global oil prices rise sharply, as they are doing now, someone must bear the cost. Some countries choose to absorb it through government support, as in Japan, while others pass the burden on to consumers, as in Thailand. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong; each carries different economic consequences. Policymakers must decide which set of outcomes is more acceptable and act accordingly.
China's water security ambitions
News, Amit Ranjan and Genevieve Donnellon-May, Published on 15/04/2026
» China holds only 6% of the world's fresh water, which supports nearly 20% of the global population and generates over 18% of global gross domestic product. The country faces water challenges largely due to water quality concerns and significant spatio-temporal imbalances.
Nepal's new govt faces challenges
News, Brabim Karki, Published on 13/04/2026
» Nepal's new government, led by Balendra Shah, more popularly known as Balen, is moving fast and shaking the politics of the Himalayan nation.
Modern-day mispricing of war
Oped, Antara Haldar, Published on 09/04/2026
» In the space of just a few weeks, the throttling of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has revealed the true nature of the US-Israeli war with Iran. This is no regional conflict, because the entire world is being invoiced. While the size of the bill remains to be determined, it is already obvious that the belligerents won't be the only ones paying the tab.
Laws must unlock food waste value
News, Chanisara Dumkum & Theerat Dejitikul, Published on 08/04/2026
» Thailand has been throwing away food on a massive scale. Yet much of what ends up in the bin could have been used to feed people, animals, or even generate energy. The question is what needs to be done. To find a proper solution, we must acknowledge a hard fact: waste is not the problem in itself. The real issue lies in the system that manages it.
Asean banks face climate pressure
Oped, Rachel Ho, Published on 08/04/2026
» The global oil and gas crisis is worsening. Amid the Middle East war, the central banks of countries in Southeast Asia must address a perfect storm of rising fuel prices, cost-of-living pressures, and worsening impacts of climate disasters.
Iran's water weapon against Gulf
Oped, Michael Christopher Low, Published on 07/04/2026
» The oil-rich monarchies of the Persian Gulf are often described as petrostates. But the US-Israeli war with Iran has highlighted that they are also saltwater kingdoms, societies whose survival depends on desalination, or converting seawater into potable water at industrial scale.
How Iran is able to beat the US in its war
News, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 06/04/2026
» In a rambling address to the American people on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump claimed that the US war against Iran has been a success, vowing to "finish the job … very fast". It was a statement in obvious conflict with the facts. In reality, Iran has upended the model on which US interventionism has long relied.
Conflicts of interest worsen crisis
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 06/04/2026
» Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn's resignation as head of the committee handling the oil crisis caused by the war in the Middle East has spared him from public criticism over a potential conflict of interest linked to his family's oil trading business.