Showing 1 - 10 of 154
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.
Moderate global growth masks regional strains
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 14/01/2026
» Global economic growth still continues, but at a moderate pace. That's the verdict from the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026, which predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7% this year, or slightly below the 2.8% estimated for 2025, but less than the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%.
A bright spot in global landscape
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 02/01/2026
» It's time to consult the crystal snow globe and try to peer ahead to what may be on the horizon for the new year. Without question 2025 has been tumultuous but the year ahead holds cautious promise to finally solve some political crises mixed with some epic events on tap.
'Land bridge' will harm nature
Oped, Kitichate Sridith, Published on 31/12/2025
» The end of 2025 brought Thais the good news that one of the world's most endangered felines -- the flat-headed cat -- has not gone extinct in our nation, as had long been feared. But our natural heritage is under relentless pressure. We need to treat our habitats, flora and fauna as assets that demand science-led protection.
What Sudthisak's return means
News, Alona Fisher-Kamm, Published on 29/12/2025
» The return on Dec 10 of the remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak, the last Thai national abducted by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, closes a painful circle; but it does not close the wound. His return is not only a moment of relief but a moment of remembrance. It forces us to confront, once again, the human cost of the massacre carried out by Hamas on that dark day.
Border crisis is a measure of national resolve
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 19/12/2025
» The latest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia is now in its second week without any sign of abating.
Syria's tragic saga a long way from being over
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 12/12/2025
» Just one year ago Syria's brutal and seemingly eternal Assad family dictatorship was toppled.
Socialism's novel brand of nomenclature
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 18/11/2025
» On Nov 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed. On a very ordinary night, thousands of East Germans started crossing the dividing barrier between the communist East and capitalist West Berlin after the East German regime had suddenly opened tightly controlled border crossings. In a matter of hours, history was made. Throngs of people soon swamped the Wall and then started smashing the hated communist barrier into concrete rubble.
France stumbles through an autumn of woe
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 05/11/2025
» France has faced a tumultuous autumn. The usual strikes, government shuffles, and sensational events -- from a high-profile daylight heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum to the imprisonment of a former president -- have characterised a disquieting period.
Mitigating flood misery
Oped, Editorial, Published on 10/10/2025
» This week, the general public breathed a sigh of relief after the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) expressed confidence that there is no risk of future rounds of flooding reaching 2011 levels. That epic event has gone down as perhaps the worst floods the nation has faced in modern times.