Showing 1 - 8 of 8
News bulletins are going 'off-ramp'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/03/2026
» An expression that is being used with increasing frequency in recent news reports, particularly concerning the goings on in the Middle East, is "off-ramp". Switch on the TV and it won't be long before a "talking head" will be authoritatively discussing "off-ramp" opportunities.
Slow horses playing a strange game
Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/03/2025
» Last week's account in PostScript of the painfully slow horse I bet on at the Epsom Derby back in the Dark Ages prompted a reader to enquire if I had seen the British television series Slow Horses. I'm pleased to say I have and for those who are unfamiliar with the production I should point out that it has nothing do with the equine world but is an absorbing British spy thriller laced with dark humour.
Premier League bets $5 billion on game theory
News, Matthew Brooker, Published on 08/11/2023
» Competitive tension is essential to the thrill of any sporting contest. The world's richest domestic soccer competition hasn't been over-endowed on that score in recent years, with Abu Dhabi-bankrolled Manchester City winning England's top division for three consecutive years and leading the table again almost a third into the current season. Those hankering for a bit more drama might do better to turn their attention to the unfolding financial contest for control of who screens the games.
How Nigeria ended fuel subsidies
News, Jordan Kyle & Kwaw Andam, Published on 21/08/2023
» In his inauguration speech in May, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced the end of the country's decades-old fuel subsidy. This is not the first time that Nigeria has attempted to abandon the policy, which has had disastrous consequences for the economy and the climate. What is new is the quiescence of ordinary citizens. After declaring plans for a nationwide strike, the Nigeria Labour Congress backed down, and no other large protests have erupted.
Stand with Türkiye against terror
Oped, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Published on 15/07/2022
» On the evening of July 15, 2016, the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization" (Feto) launched a bloody coup attempt against the people and the government of my country. Their aim was to establish a radical, fundamentalist regime, loyal only to their ringleader Fetullah Gülen.
Cold War getting too hot for comfort
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/02/2022
» Having been brought up in the 1950s and 60s during what was known as the Cold War, I find it a bit sad that after all the ensuing decades nothing seems to have changed. Russia and the West are at it again, still calling one another names. But as long as it remains name-calling we'll take that.
Wagglers, winkers and grasshoppers
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/09/2020
» A half-hearted spring-cleaning session at home during the week came to a welcome halt when I unearthed a long-lost copy of Have Fun With Thai Proverbs collecting dust under a pile of disintegrating paperbacks. Written by Dr Duangtip Somnapan Surintatip, the book is a reminder that there is a common thread to proverbs around the world. As the title suggests, it can be fun putting long-standing expressions into a Thai context.
Hunting scandal summons ghosts of past
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 07/02/2018
» The suspected illegal hunting in the World Heritage Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, in which the president of the construction giant Italian-Thai Development (ITD), Premchai Karnasuta, was arrested on Sunday night and accused of being a member of the hunting party, reminds me of a similar incident 45 years ago in the same forest.