Showing 1 - 10 of 150
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.
Future will be decided in classrooms
Oped, Ken Legins and Somchai Jitsuchon, Published on 26/01/2026
» On Feb 8, people across Thailand will head to the national election.
Plentiful policy on offer
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/01/2026
» Thailand is heading towards a consequential general election on Feb 8. In the weeks leading up to polling day, voters have been bombarded with policy proposals from across the political spectrum. Many are attractively packaged and, if fully realised, would seemingly transform the country overnight.
How world order looks after 2025
Oped, Yuen Yuen Ang, Published on 05/01/2026
» For mathematicians, 2025 may stand out as a "perfect square": 45 multiplied by 45, a rare symmetry. But its significance goes far beyond numerical elegance -- it marks the year the postwar global order expired and a new one began.
Early education transforms lives
Oped, Justin van Fleet & Pia Rebello Britto, Published on 09/12/2025
» The leaders' declaration adopted at the end of the recent G20 summit in South Africa reaffirmed the group's commitment to tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges, from inequality and long-running conflicts to AI and climate change. It also marked a historic milestone: for the first time, the G20 identified education as one of its top global priorities.
AI as Asia's new growth engine?
Oped, Lee Jong-wha, Published on 27/11/2025
» Two decades after globalisation fuelled a global economic boom, growth has shifted onto a more subdued path, where it is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. Beyond the immediate shock of fragmenting trade and investment ties -- a result of rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between the United States and China -- lie structural headwinds, including population ageing, stagnant productivity, and the growing costs of inequality and natural disaster. These challenges strike at the heart of Asia's growth model.
COP30 must be more focused on human welfare
Oped, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 13/11/2025
» With the United Nations climate summit, COP30, now in full swing in the humid jungle city of Belém, Brazil, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has cut through the noise with a blunt truth: these UN climate gatherings must zero in on lifting human lives, rather than fixating solely on slashing emissions or dialling down global temperatures. It's a perspective that's long overdue yet seems so obvious.
Building an energy resilient bloc
Oped, Fajar Ikhsandy, Ignatius Primadi Limin, Mahila Shabira, Weilie Winaldy Sugianlie, Published on 11/11/2025
» According to our latest projection, electricity demand in Asean will reach around 173 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), or about 2,000 terawatt-hour (TWh), in 2050 -- roughly 1.6 times higher than the 2023 level.
Rethinking finance beyond aid
Oped, Justin Yifu Lin & Yan Wang, Published on 06/11/2025
» Traditional donors have sharply scaled back their aid commitments to developing countries over the past year. Some, like the United States, have virtually eliminated their aid programmes. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), official development assistance (ODA) from member countries declined by 7.1% in 2024, its first annual drop in six years.
Forget the gloom
Oped, Postbag, Published on 03/11/2025
» Re: "Thailand now 'the sick man of Asean'", (Opinion, Oct 30).