Lesson for Singapore: concentration of power in a few led to Venice’s downfall

There are lessons to be learned from the rise and decline of Venice as the foremost naval and economic power in the Mediterranean between the early...

Amnesty strips Aung San Suu Kyi of its highest honor; Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize should be next

Before you are tempted to view this as some kind of principled, honorable move on Amnesty’s part, stop yourself and check out its dubious...

(MB-ŠTIMUNGA) Li-li in robček

Mislim, da sem se režal skozi nos. Zadnje, ampak res zaaaaadnje, kar naj bi se menil z njim, bi bila politika. Lokalna politika. Samo vseeno. Če...

Amid Brexit chaos, Britain's political system finally implodes

Theresa May surely by now symbolises the phrase "bad day at the office". This week, having spent months negotiating the deal by which Britain will...

The Dred Scott of Climate Change?

WASHINGTON, DC – In 2015, 21 young people between the ages of 11 and 22 filed a major lawsuit against the US government for failing to limit the...

The real problem in the Italian press

Commentary. Broadcasters in particular go to unbelievable extremes in their over-representation of the political class as the most important source...

Ko oportunistični pridigarji dobijo moč in oblast

Marakeška deklaracija je v domačih političnih logih dvignila nemalo prahu. Pričakovano. Tudi stališča naših političnih veljakov glede tega,...

Letters to the Editor: Diaspora Jews

Spain and anti-Semitism In response to “Is Spain really ready to become a haven for people with Jewish roots?" (Cnaan Liphshiz/JTA, Nov. 12) In...

There is still hope for Cambodia's democracy

It is now just over a year since I was thrown into exile at the stroke of a pen. On 16 November 2017, the Cambodian Supreme Court disbanded my...

Europe’s New Political Battle Lines

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron has framed the European Parliament election in May 2019 as a battle not between the traditional right...

Hungary's Viktor Orban finally welcomes a 'refugee'

By giving refuge to former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Orban is making a mockery of his government's position. More importantly,...

Separate lives of Koreans and foreigners

By Kim Ji-myung Where do foreign residents in Seoul hang out at 3 a.m.? And what about Koreans? A survey on the location and movement of more than...

Cámaras Empresariales: articuladores del patrimonio cultural

Recientemente tuve ocasión en Madrid de impartir una conferencia en la sede de la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos sobre el rol de las...

Fake Elections

Facebook and its WhatsApp and Instagram apps have a monopoly on social media. Two billion people use Facebook every month, and according to the Pew...

Palm oil rep irked by viral video of deforestation

A GROUP representing the palm oil industry has slammed UK supermarket chain Iceland Foods Ltd for releasing a viral commercial which attacked the...

Gandhi of the Middle East

Winston Churchill, apparently, is evoked only when he wants to persuade other countries to go to war for us, for example in Iraq or Iran. For...

Israel's Suicidal Passion for Tribal Nationalism

The fate of the Jews has been tied to the fate of liberal values, and yet the levels of racist tribal nationalism reached here are incomparable,...

North Korea tests new ‘high-tech’ tactical weapon

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited his country's National Defence Institute to inspect a new 'high-tech' weapon that could protect the nation...

People are searching more about conservation on Google than ever before

Has the general public lost interest in biodiversity conservation? Has people’s interest in environmental issues been overshadowed by climate...

How Brexit debacle is uncovering and unraveling the dis-United Kingdom

At best, the United Kingdom is heading into years of yet more political turmoil and acrimony, which will sap society, the economy and governing...

The high price of a two-island deal

Meeting in Singapore on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to accelerate peace treaty negotiations on...

How the west was won: what Chongqing and Chengdu can do to attract foreign investors

For many years, China has sought to narrow the development gap between the wealthy east coast and the less-developed western regions. As part of a...

Chinese smartphone firms challenge Apple

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — A raft of profit warnings from Apple Inc. suppliers this week has fueled investor concerns that iPhone sales, in terms...

As big cities get Amazon’s new base, smaller cities may benefit

Amazon’s expansion of its headquarters to New York City and suburban Washington, D.C., made public just a week after Google’s announcement of a...

Protokolarna napaka ali politika?

Srbiji je očitno usojeno, da če že ne počne tega sama od sebe, jo pa kdo drug pripravi do tega, da »proizvede več zgodovine, kot je lahko...

Why we all need to apologise to David Beckham

It’s January 11, 2007 and a blonde-haired David Beckham has just put his John Hancock on a behemoth US$250 million (HK$1.9 billion) contract to...

Has Qatar succeeded in facing the blockade?

I took another look at the speech made the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, at the opening of the 47th session of the Qatari...

Bennett Went Out on a Limb in His Challenge to Netanyahu. He Should Have Been More Modest

One of Netanyahu’s main tasks was and still is to neutralize and miniaturize any potential heir. A brief survey over the years shows that he has...

The Bank of Japan’s Stealth Tapering

TOKYO – In December 2012, Japanese voters brought the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its leader, Shinzo Abe, to power after three chaotic years...

Give Italy’s Government a Chance

LONDON – In Europe, hardly anyone has a good word to say about Italy’s upstart ruling coalition, which comprises the populist Five Star Movement...

Here’s how to convince Carrie Lam to give up Lantau reclamation

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced her Lantau Tomorrow Vision in the policy address on October 10 before the Task Force on Land...

What the rise and fall of oil prices says about asset markets

Risk assets have faced a good number of difficulties this year, but one of the few assets bucking that trend is oil. Modest global growth kept...

With the Death Penalty, Israel Shouldn’t Act Like a Street Gang

A modern nation of laws isn’t supposed to act based on revenge. Its legal system is founded on decency, justice and equality, not primitive...

What Trump gets right in his spat with Macron

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest disastrous trip to Europe is over, but his feud with French President Emmanuel Macron over...

Time to use Article 23 as a bargaining chip

Hong Kong is caught in a bind. We used to have a road map for electoral reform and full franchise. Now it’s gone. Is there hope of reviving it?...

Neodovzdávajme potomkov historikom

Veľa štátov je zasa historicky mladých, ale ich idea akoby vyprchala, skôr než dozrela. V Afrike v polovici minulého storočia pučali nové...

El Pacto del G-20 con África: del potencial a la realidad

El Pacto con África se centra en el reto fundamental del continente: cómo acelerar la inversión del sector privado y crear puestos de trabajo....

Climate change in Asia: Why collective welfare comes before individual rights

WHEN governments look to address climate change and ensuring sustainability in Asian countries, collective welfare will have to take precedence...

Why large-scale immigration would be bad for Japan

Beyond ‘fake news’: Trump actions undercut journalists around the world

On November 8, one day after the White House shared a doctored video to justify banning a journalist from access to its press briefings, Donald...

How China influences the diaspora through digital media

A study comparing content produced by Australia-funded SBS Mandarin with WeChat news channels over a 19-month period revealed a marked difference...

The US is not sincere about a ceasefire in Yemen

The call by the United States late last month for a ceasefire in Yemen initially raised hopes of a possible breakthrough in the nearly four-year...

Which Singapore graduates are most employable in the world?

SINGAPORE has a sterling reputation for its education system and it is little wonder why the National University of Singapore are among the most...

How Congress can push Saudi Arabia on Yemen

The Trump administration is ending one of the most important elements of US military assistance to the Saudi-led war in Yemen: the refuelling of...

The world now looks to Apec to lead on globalisation

When the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum meet in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea this weekend, they will be doing so at...

Ripple effects of ecclesiastical accord in Athens reach Phanar

Standing on the ancient, worn-out steps at the entrance of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate at Phanar last week, I thought this could be a rare...

Early Elections in Israel: It’s Not Just Hamas, Stupid

Bibi has retained his hold on power thanks to a strong economy. He should be grateful to Lieberman for forcing an election before it all goes bust