Showing 1 - 10 of 113
Trump's 'America First' in overdrive
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 23/01/2026
» President Donald Trump's extraterritorial capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on cocaine-trafficking and terrorism-related charges earlier this month and repeated demand to take over Greenland at the World Economic Forum this week are part and parcel of a belligerent and transformative "America First" paradigm that dates back at least four decades.
Prayers from afar
Oped, Postbag, Published on 25/12/2025
» Re: "Border conflict test big powers' resolve", (Opinion, Dec 23).
Where there's Muck there's puffins
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/11/2025
» Important news from Northern Ireland. For the first time in more than 25 years puffins have been spotted on the quaintly named Isle of Muck. The isle is a nature reserve on the Antrim coast and derives its unusual name from the adjacent town of Portmuck.
Myanmar's fragile pursuit of peace
Oped, Pisanu Suvanajata, Published on 23/10/2025
» A decade ago, Myanmar reached what many viewed as a historic milestone on Oct 15, 2015. The signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) between the government and several ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) brought renewed hope. After more than seven decades of internal conflict, the country seemed to be stepping towards a peaceful and inclusive future.
Postal services still lead the way
Oped, Vinaya Prakash Singh, Published on 09/10/2025
» World Post Day, observed every year on Oct 9, was proclaimed by the 1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Berne. Across 192 UPU member countries, the day is celebrated through the launch of new products, the opening of postal facilities, employee recognition, and community engagement.
Thai and Omani bridge builders
Oped, Pisanu Suvanajata, Published on 08/10/2025
» On the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Sultanate of Oman, last week, the Royal Thai Embassy in Muscat and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman convened a workshop that transcended mere commemoration. It became a working session on how two middle-power nations, distant in geography but close in outlook, can turn shared principles -- dialogue, moderation, and trust -- into practical pathways for peace and stability.
Introducing the new cybercrime treaty
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 27/09/2025
» Next month, a key Asean nation will host a raft of countries for the signing ceremony for a new cybercrime treaty. Its full (and rather wordy) title is: the "United Nations Convention against Cybercrime; Strengthening International Cooperation for Combating Certain Crimes Committed by Means of Information and Communications Technology Systems and for the Sharing of Evidence in Electronic Form of Serious Crimes".
Gaza Strip pantomime ending at last
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 29/07/2025
» The coordinated chorus of despair by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and their various henchpersons and flacks was quite impressive. The message was that everybody should stop hoping for a negotiated peace. Mr Netanyahu has stared Mr Trump down once again, and the four-month pantomime search for a new ceasefire in Gaza is at an end.
US hard power must get harder
Oped, Todd G. Buchholz & Michael Mindlin, Published on 05/06/2025
» In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford gets his biggest laugh when a desert assassin twirls a scimitar with menacing bravado. Following this brief performance, Ford's character cracks a wry smile, takes out his pistol, and shoots the man dead. In a potential contest with China, the United States looks more like the medieval assassin, deploying young sailors and soldiers equipped with perilously outdated, vulnerable technology.
Can Ukraine survive Trump presidency?
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 21/05/2025
» We are getting very close to the point where Donald Trump realises that his dear friend, Vladimir Putin, has been playing him for a fool. The Russian president never had the slightest intention of moderating his war aims, which include the annexation of much of Ukraine and the demotion of the rest to the status of a puppet state.