Showing 1 - 10 of 76
The Iran war is upending global energy markets
Oped, Carolyn Kissane, Published on 12/03/2026
» The war with Iran is widening faster than many expected. The Islamic Republic's retaliation against Arab Gulf states has extended beyond military targets to critical civilian infrastructure, including airports, water desalination plants, and energy facilities. Hezbollah has opened a second front from Lebanon. US President Donald Trump suggests that operations could last "four to five weeks", but with nearly 50 senior Iranian officials having been killed, it is unclear who might be positioned to negotiate an off-ramp.
Killing the goose that lays the Olympic gold medal
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 24/02/2026
» The Olympic Games have always been about more than sports, with the medal count serving as a measure of national vitality. The 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina are no different. The Americans, like everyone else, want confirmation of their preeminence. So important is that outcome that even US Vice President JD Vance briefly acknowledged the value of non-white immigration to the United States when he complained that Eileen Gu, the US-born medal-winning skier for China, should be competing under the American flag.
Deliberation and bureaucracy can live together
Oped, Joe Mathews, Published on 23/02/2026
» Deliberative democracy is now officially entangled in state bureaucracy. And that's good news for citizens around the world.
Our tariff-era dollar, your problem
Oped, Qiyuan Xu, Published on 04/02/2026
» In 2025, the dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of major currencies, fell by roughly 9.4%. Over the same period, the United States' average effective tariff rate rose by around 14.4 percentage points, from 2.4% to 16.8%, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Taken together, these shifts imply that, in the import trade domain, the US experienced an effective exchange-rate depreciation of around 24%.
Building capacity where it counts
Oped, Mariana Mazzucato & Rainer Kattel, Published on 06/10/2025
» After years of underinvestment, governments around the world are struggling to keep pace with growing demands. The consequences are now widely evident, as underfunded and unprepared public agencies falter whenever crises strike. The problem is not "slimming" government down, but rather rendering it more capable, strategic, outcome-oriented and a good partner in solving the greatest problems of our time: providing adequate housing for all, strengthening climate resilience and ensuring that technology makes all our lives better, not just a few "bros" richer.
Authoritarians' brave new cities
Oped, Robert Muggah & Carlo Ratti, Published on 23/09/2025
» Few policy ideas are as radical -- or as misleadingly packaged -- as "freedom cities". Championed by Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian elite and recently embraced by right-wing politicians like Donald Trump, the idea is to create digitally powered, master-planned enclaves of deregulated innovation.
Breaking barriers for Thai innovations
Oped, Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu and Pichakorn Khowasinth, Published on 27/08/2025
» Thailand is abundant with talent in medical technology. Why aren't our homegrown innovations reaching patients? The answer is simple: a broken system.
Demographic time bomb threatens Chinese society
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 22/08/2025
» News stories about China nowadays largely focus on geopolitical developments, particularly the Sino-American rivalry. But China's 1.4 billion people, while aware of these issues, are more preoccupied with a problem that hits much closer to home: their shrinking families.
Fatbergs ahead
Oped, Postbag, Published on 25/06/2025
» Re: "BMA's sewer war begins", (Editorial, June 25).
Flips and threats
Oped, Postbag, Published on 10/06/2025
» Re: "Angry Trump warns Musk not to back Democrats", (World, June 9).