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US Drug Enforcement Administration agents move captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores out of a helicopter in New York City, on January 5. Photo: Reuters
United States

As I see it | Welcome, world, to the American jungle

Far from deterring China and Russia, the operation signals that brute force, not international law, now defines American action.

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North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

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US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | US invasion of Venezuela no guarantee of hemispheric dominance

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China stock market

Macroscope | Chinese stocks could be biggest winner of Venezuela fallout

Amid rising fears over an AI bubble and geopolitical strife, China’s push for self-reliance has left it more insulated from global storms.

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People walk below a large screen displaying the latest stock exchange and economic data in Shanghai on January 6. Photo: EPA
People walk below a large screen displaying the latest stock exchange and economic data in Shanghai on January 6. Photo: EPA
Sustainability

Opinion | Why Shein doesn’t have to be the model for the fashion industry

Although the fast fashion label had a bumper 2025 while familiar brands faced collapse, the industry should not conclude that speed and scale are everything.

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United States

Opinion | Why Asia should be concerned about the US attack on Venezuela

Venezuela matters less as a case in itself than as a signal of how energy is being repositioned amid intensifying US-China competition.

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United States

As I see it | Monroe Doctrine 2.0 portends the end of the US empire

The eerie return of the 19th century foreign policy doctrine indicates a declining empire seeking to consolidate power in its own backyard.

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US President Donald Trump (right) speaks as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, after he ordered strikes on Venezuela, on January 3. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were also captured by US special forces during the bombing raid. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump (right) speaks as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, after he ordered strikes on Venezuela, on January 3. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were also captured by US special forces during the bombing raid. Photo: Reuters
United States

Opinion | The US now owns more than just Venezuela’s oil

A hard lesson in foreign policy comes to mind: if you break it, you own it. America is now responsible for Venezuela’s failures, factions and future grievances.

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United States

Opinion | The dawn of a new American empire without the burden of responsibility

Its Caracas operation with neither legal backing nor democratic pretence underlines the Trump doctrine of expansionism without responsibility.

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War and conflict

Opinion | US attack on Venezuela tests moral clarity of the post-war world order

Amid Washington’s use of force, there is a sense that global affairs are drifting towards a modernised version of the law of the jungle.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Why reducing AI harm requires more than tech firms’ empty promises

Real action incurs real cost, which is why incentives and regulatory frameworks for tech firms matter.

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Children attend an AI-themed lecture in a computer classroom at a school in Zhangxian county in China’s Gansu province, on September 10. Photo: Xinhua
Children attend an AI-themed lecture in a computer classroom at a school in Zhangxian county in China’s Gansu province, on September 10. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Opinion | Will US interference in Hong Kong or Taiwan end? Don’t bet on it

Amid stabler US-China relations, confidence in Hong Kong has recovered. However, the city needs to be on the alert for other threats.

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US-China trade war

Macroscope | Can a world obsessed with greed and power avoid a war in 2026?

The desire for economic growth and military might is driving the world towards conflict while devaluing concepts such as mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

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Science

As I see it | We can now watch our own genes dance

Modern biology reveals a real miracle: how broken pieces of molecules evolved into a species that became conscious of its own genetic make-up.

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An animation of the structure of DNA. Photo: Shutterstock Images
European Union

Opinion | Can Europe survive its crippling paralysis?

The brutal reality is that the European Union is failing to get its squabbling nations to work as a coherent group.

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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signs an agreement to transfer to Ukraine a tranche of proceeds from frozen Russian assets during a meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9. Photo: AP
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signs an agreement to transfer to Ukraine a tranche of proceeds from frozen Russian assets during a meeting in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 9. Photo: AP
United States

Opinion | As the US struggles with affordability, consumer confidence eludes China

While many have soured on globalisation, protectionism has also failed to guarantee people’s desire for affordability and financial security.

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War and conflict

Outside In | 2025 was the year of denial. What now?

Despite the threat of wars, tariffs, climate change and AI, normality has persisted. But it can only be a matter of time before such contradictions explode.

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Investing

Opinion | Rising markets, falling interest rates and more: 5 investment myths for 2026

Investors must be careful in following conventional wisdom this year as several seemingly sure bets might be anything but.

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A pedestrian walks past a stock market indicator board on the final trading day of the year in Tokyo on December 30. Notable outperformers for 2025 included the Nasdaq, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and South Korea’s semiconductor-rich Kospi. Photo: EPA
A pedestrian walks past a stock market indicator board on the final trading day of the year in Tokyo on December 30. Notable outperformers for 2025 included the Nasdaq, Japan’s Nikkei 225, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and South Korea’s semiconductor-rich Kospi. Photo: EPA
United States

Opinion | Why Donald Trump will focus on the Fed in 2026

With the US midterm elections looming, the White House seeks victory over inflation and the stimulating effects of lower borrowing costs.

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War and conflict

Opinion | If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia

From Manila to Tokyo, domestic political dynamics are increasing the risks of a dangerous confrontation between Washington and Beijing.

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Technology

Opinion | Amid the bad news of 2025, science cooperation has been a beacon of hope

Even in a difficult year for many, science has demonstrated the ability to transcend borders, unite people and help those in need.

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A visitor interacts with a robot at the Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai on September 21. Photo: Xinhua
Ukraine war

Opinion | Europe risks a self-fulfilling prophecy of war with Russia

The EU should secure its future through fair contributions to Nato and a lucrative transatlantic defence market, not conflict with Moscow.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Asia housing and property

The View | How AI helped Asia’s real estate sector pass the tariff stress test

While multiple factors are at play, this year’s tech exuberance helped the region’s property markets stay afloat.

US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s pivot puts Pacific Rim at heart of global power shift

America’s strategy is hastening the geopolitical change of influence from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with US-China competition the primary driver.

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Donald Trump

Opinion | Why America can no longer build something like the Manhattan Project

Rather than owning the engine of innovation, Washington is standing in line like a customer to buy tech services it doesn’t control or understand.

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Tech leaders (from the left) Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk attend Donald Trump’s inauguration in the rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington on January 20. Bezos’ Amazon has pledged to invest up to US$50 billion to expand AI and supercomputing infrastructure for “US government customers”. Photo: Pool via Reuters
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