Showing 1 - 10 of 47
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.
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.
Floods a wake-up call
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/11/2025
» Fears of an epic flood similar to the catastrophic inundation of 2011 have returned to haunt the public once again.
The human toll behind your seafood
News, Claire Kietduriyakul, Published on 02/08/2025
» The next time you are at a restaurant and considering the choice of fish or shrimp, spare a thought. The seafood on your plate may come at quite a human cost.
Philippines sidelines local languages
Oped, Analiza Liezl Perez-Amurao and Michael Thomas Nelmida, Published on 09/07/2025
» In October 2024, the Philippine government, in its management of a linguistically rich and culturally diverse population, decided to make the then-existing Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) expire by not signing it.
China's 'grey zone' tactics pressure Taiwan
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 10/04/2025
» China's growing naval power is regularly and systematically harassing the waters around Taiwan in what appears to be rehearsal exercises for a future invasion of the self-ruled democratic island. Units of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), as well as swarms of military aircraft, regularly probe the waters and skies near Taiwan, often crossing into the island's sovereign airspace and waters.
Trump, Rubio and the Panama Canal rhumba
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 12/02/2025
» The Panama Canal is back in the headlines after President Donald Trump raised political and security concerns over the future of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The heart of his argument is that the canal, built and paid for by the United States in the early 20th century is now coming under Chinese communist influence.
Thai waters in peril
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/01/2025
» Thailand's waterways and seas both face ecological crises that could devastate ecosystems, food security, and millions of livelihoods if left unchecked. Two protests this week reflect the urgency of these issues. Small-scale fishermen and environmentalists have gathered at the Senate to oppose an amendment to the Fisheries Act allowing trawlers to sweep clean the sea. Meanwhile, fishermen and aquaculture farmers from 19 provinces have rallied at Government House, demanding the government address the spread of the invasive blackchin tilapia, or pla mor khang dam in Thai, a fish wreaking havoc in river ecosystems across the country.
Marine life under threat
Oped, Editorial, Published on 28/12/2024
» Parliament has handed the nation a troubling gift this holiday season by passing a law that threatens Thai seas and puts the country at risk of a fisheries export boycott.
Soft power notes
Oped, Postbag, Published on 27/12/2024
» Re: "Isan heritage takes centre stage in Khon Kaen", (Life, Dec 24).