Showing 1 - 10 of 1,658
Anutin 2 govt's foreign policy outlook
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/02/2026
» To say that diplomacy under the upcoming Anutin 2 government will differ significantly from its first, short-lived period in power would be an exaggeration. However, one thing is clear: following the electoral landslide, the new cabinet will be rock solid. A government with such stability will exert a strong influence on Thai foreign policy.
Roaring global growth is emerging
News, Mike Dolan, Published on 11/02/2026
» The chaotic newsflow, geopolitical shape-shifting and wild market swings of 2026 have clouded one basic signal: the global economy is racing forward.
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.
Pheu Thai bets again on loyal red-shirt base
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 06/02/2026
» The Pheu Thai Party's call for supporters to wear red shirts today appears to be a last-ditch effort to re-energise its traditional "red-shirt" base.
Our tariff-era dollar, your problem
Oped, Qiyuan Xu, Published on 04/02/2026
» In 2025, the dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of major currencies, fell by roughly 9.4%. Over the same period, the United States' average effective tariff rate rose by around 14.4 percentage points, from 2.4% to 16.8%, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Taken together, these shifts imply that, in the import trade domain, the US experienced an effective exchange-rate depreciation of around 24%.
Thai baht under watch
News, Editorial, Published on 03/02/2026
» As Thailand heads to the polls this Sunday, the campaign trail has been crowded with promises of wage hikes, subsidies and generous domestic giveaways. Yet last week, a far more sobering message arrived from Washington. The US Treasury has placed Thailand back on its currency monitoring list, a move that carries implications well beyond a routine financial assessment.
Minister's 'stress' theory misses the point
News, Poramet Tangsathaporn, Published on 02/02/2026
» Malaysia's Minister for Religious Affairs, Datuk Zulkifli Hasan, has grabbed global media headlines with his remarks on the LGBTQ+ community. The minister was quoted as saying the sexual orientation of LGBTQ+ individuals is caused by a lifestyle of excessive work-related stress, social pressure, sexual experiences and insufficient religious observance.
Middle powers can do their bit
News, Moreno Bertoldi & Marco Buti, Published on 02/02/2026
» Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, the world is increasingly caught between the United States -- an extractive superpower -- and China, a "dependency superpower" whose global influence rests on making other countries reliant on its exports. In the absence of meaningful resistance, both are likely to remain on this course, leaving middle powers to comply with their demands or face retaliation.
Poll litmus test
Postbag, Published on 02/02/2026
» Re: "Learning crisis", (PostBag, 30) & "Future will be decided in classrooms", (BP, Jan 26).
Asian defence firms eye win amid global tension
News, Manishi Raychaudhuri, Published on 26/01/2026
» Geopolitical tensions were sky-high in 2025, and US President Donald Trump's recent military actions in Venezuela and bid for Greenland suggest the international temperature won't be dropping any time soon.