Columns

THINKING ALOUD

Requiem for The Washington Post

The newspaper that brought down a president is dying in darkness – and its billionaire owner lit the match

With its clear win, the conservative Bhumjaithai party led by Anutin Charnvirakul (centre) is well-placed to form a government with a comfortable majority. 
POLITICS THAT MATTER

Moving Thailand forward: Between stability and reform

After 3 prime ministers and past incidents of street protests and violence, the economy – stuck at a 1-2% growth rate – seems to be on the rebound

Shipping accounts for about 3% of global emissions, similar to all the aircraft in the sky.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The ships moving global trade are going electric

With each passing year, batteries get cheaper, lighter and more powerful

Singapore has adapted its Budget framework in response to changes in the rate of economic growth, increases in the expenditure needs of its population, and policy initiatives.

Budget 2026: The art of the long game

It is a blueprint for an AI-ready, connected and inclusive economy

When clashes erupted around the Preah Vihear temple, escalation was contained not by superior firepower but by Asean mediation and recourse to international law.
NEW GLOBAL ORDER

Asia’s future will be won by soft power, not force

Such power often determines how long crises last and how much economic damage they inflict

Elon Musk's Starlink network has nearly 10,000 orbiters so far.

Musk is beating China’s 203,000 paper satellites

The country’s plans are best understood not as a genuine expansion, but a bid to hobble the front-runner

Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica more than tripled sales of its Meta AI glasses in 2025, selling more than seven million units.
THINKING ALOUD

The rose-tinted inevitability of smart glasses

I laughed at them in 2013; I might buy a pair in 2026

The length of time chief executives stay in the job has fallen to an average of seven years, down from just over eight years in 2021. 

The age of the disposable leader

Chief executive churnover is less visible than political headrolling but can be just as disruptive

The message from the financial markets is that SaaS companies need to move much faster. Incumbents in other industries who think time is on their side as they figure out a response to the AI threat should also take note. The stock market’s AI reckoning, when it comes, can be swift and brutal.

The great software stock meltdown

Sell-off may be overdone, but companies need to move faster to respond to AI

Analysts believe construction players such as Soilbuild will be key beneficiaries of Singapore's public housing mandate.
HOCK LOCK SIEW

Barging blindly into Singapore’s construction boom could be a bust for some investors

Those dipping their toes in now are no longer buying the boom, but betting that these companies can manage their costs