Showing 1 - 10 of 500
Gulf states tell US ending the war is not enough
Oped, Samia Nakhoul, Published on 31/03/2026
» Gulf Arab states are telling the US that any deal with Tehran should do more than end the war, and must permanently curb Iran's missile and drone capabilities and ensure global energy supplies are never again "weaponised", four Gulf sources said.
Deadly deception
Postbag, Published on 14/03/2026
» Re: "US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike", (World, March 6).
Could a Brics currency rival the dollar?
Oped, Jim O'Neill, Published on 18/02/2026
» Could the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) ever launch a shared currency to challenge the US dollar's dominant position in the world economy? Like many conventional international economists, I have generally dismissed the idea, despite my own role in coining the Brics acronym, which led to the creation of a formal Brics club (since expanded into the Brics+, with the addition of five new members).
Anutin 2 govt's foreign policy outlook
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/02/2026
» To say that diplomacy under the upcoming Anutin 2 government will differ significantly from its first, short-lived period in power would be an exaggeration. However, one thing is clear: following the electoral landslide, the new cabinet will be rock solid. A government with such stability will exert a strong influence on Thai foreign policy.
China military purge exposes Xi's unease
News, John J Metzler, Published on 14/02/2026
» Strange and mysterious events are transpiring inside the walls of Beijing's Forbidden City. In the massive nearby government compound Zhongnanhai there's a clear unease as Communist Party Chief and military supremo Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has shuffled the political cards in the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), by purging his two top generals.
Implications of conservative triumph
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/02/2026
» The incumbent and conservative Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party has surprisingly swept Thailand's Feb 8 election with a commanding win. With the previously poll-leading and progressive People's Party (PP) coming in a distant second, Thailand appears headed for a conservative coalition government revolving around BJT and like-minded junior partners. Known for its conservative stance and being pro-status quo, it would not be surprising if the BJT-led coalition government, led by Prime Minister-elect Anutin Charnvirakul, were not challenged by the Constitutional Court, the Election Commission, and other supervisory agencies, which have derailed and dissolved reform-minded winning parties in the past.
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.
The case of the disappearing senior generals
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 10/02/2026
» Armies can be used against both against foreigners abroad and against citizens at home, but the two roles require quite different equipment and tactics. The same applies to their commanders: you need a different kind of general if you think that the primary task of their troops will be controlling dissent at home.
Stock Exchange of Thailand casts aside taboos
Oped, Editorial, Published on 12/01/2026
» The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is on the cusp of a progressive reform that could inject much-needed vitality into our capital market.
The end of China's one-child policy, 10 years later
Oped, Yi Fuxian, Published on 09/01/2026
» Jan 1 marked a decade since China repealed its one-child policy. Just ten days earlier, Peng Peiyun, who long oversaw the often-brutal enforcement of China's family-planning rules, died at the age of 96, having never been held accountable for her actions. Some obituaries praised Peng for being "reform-minded", even though, in practice, she only perpetuated an utterly inhumane policy, whose consequences have barely begun to materialise.