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A worker holds a piece of clothing at a factory in Depok, Indonesia, on April 25, 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/ADI WEDA
Climate change

Opinion | Fashion industry must tailor climate plans to Asian suppliers’ reality

Efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry will not work if they rest on a Western design paired with Eastern sacrifice.

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Inflated asset prices show markets don’t always know best

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War and conflict

Opinion | Welcome to a world where wars don’t end and sanctions don’t work

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Age of AI holds both promise and peril

Whether AI delivers widespread well-being or further slavery is a political question that must be answered with sound governance.

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A child observes an industrial robot dog at the ZCP Future Mobility exhibition at Zero Carbon Park in Kowloon Bay on November 1. Photo: Dickson Lee
A child observes an industrial robot dog at the ZCP Future Mobility exhibition at Zero Carbon Park in Kowloon Bay on November 1. Photo: Dickson Lee
Middle East

Opinion | Why Gulf region’s dreams of aviation domination are built on sand

While Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Istanbul’s plans are already aggressively ambitious, Saudi Arabia’s extravagant vision seems like something from fantasyland.

India

Opinion | Not just China: India also a piece of the US opioid puzzle

Like China, India has a large pharmaceutical sector that provides precursor chemicals. But it lacks China’s drug policy control.

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Artificial intelligence

Opinion | AI market will only have room for so many winners

There is not enough room in the market for all those raising billions to invest in AI, and there will inevitably be more losers than winners.

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A woman checks a pair of Rokid glasses with display and camera using artificial intelligence and augmented reality during a presentation event in Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province, on November 13. Photo: AFP
A woman checks a pair of Rokid glasses with display and camera using artificial intelligence and augmented reality during a presentation event in Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province, on November 13. Photo: AFP
China economy

Opinion | How China engineered the rapid rise of its drug innovation industry

A market once dominated by generics is now an AI-powered pharmaceutical hub drawing billion-dollar investments from the likes of Pfizer and GSK.

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US-China relations

Opinion | ‘America first’ can’t mean America alone if West hopes to counter China

Keeping US allies onside means rolling back tariffs and coming up with a long-term strategy, both of which are counter to Trump’s strengths.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Trump’s world view offers Beijing a window of opportunity on Taiwan

As the US reframes the dynamics between allies and adversaries, Beijing may see an opportunity to advance its cross-strait goals.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | In betting on Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong is really betting on itself

Hong Kong’s future may lie not in choosing between East and West, but in linking Asia with the Middle East and beyond.

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Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po (left) visits the New Murabba Development Company under the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia with Murabba CEO Michael Dyke, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 30. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po (left) visits the New Murabba Development Company under the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia with Murabba CEO Michael Dyke, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 30. Photo: Handout
India

Opinion | If China can cut its pollution, why can’t India?

India’s pollution crisis demands sustained, year-round action, not just emergency steps that kick in when the air turns toxic.

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Banking & finance

Macroscope | Global stablecoin surge highlights overlooked risks in crypto finance

The politics around digital currencies have extended into the long-running battle for supremacy between the world’s major currencies.

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Climate change

Opinion | How Cop30 laid bare the new geopolitics of climate action

Fractures, even among the Global South, show the energy transition is not just a technical challenge but a deeply political negotiation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
War and conflict

Opinion | Why advances in conventional weapons tech should worry China, Russia and US

Washington, Beijing and Moscow must realise that rapid expansion of precision non-nuclear strike capabilities does not deter war, but instead invites miscalculation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Bitcoin

Macroscope | Bitcoin’s bruising month shows the perils of going mainstream

Despite years of progress, the cryptocurrency is still in a vulnerable spot halfway between pure speculation and institutional adoption.

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Science

Opinion | Simulation hypothesis is really a proof for the existence of God

While science still disagrees on whether humanity lives in a simulation, philosophy has yet to rule out a ‘cosmic host’.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why next year’s G20 could be make or break for global development

As the US prepares to chair the G20, it faces a strategic choice: engage or revert to a narrower agenda.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Illustration: Craig Stephens
European Union

Opinion | Stumbling Germany needs a clear strategy on China

Berlin must ditch the fantasy that it can profit without strategic risks, stop acting like a junior partner and decide what it stands for.

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Nexperia

Opinion | Netherlands’ Nexperia blunder shows it has forgotten its own history

The Netherlands’ pragmatic approach – separating commercial interests from geopolitical alignment – once made it a friend to all.

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Women and gender

Opinion | Together, we can move closer to eliminating violence against women

No jurisdiction is spared from gender-based violence. Thus international cooperation is essential to build momentum and find solutions.

Protesters display the names and ages of victims of femicide in Bordeaux, France on November 22, ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Photo: AFP
United States

Opinion | Trump can’t have it all: low prices, booming stocks, balanced trade

Trump wants to close the trade deficit while promising cheap goods and high asset prices. The cost? Devastating inflation or a market crash.

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US President Donald Trump signs the funding package to reopen the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on November 12. Photo: EPA
US President Donald Trump signs the funding package to reopen the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on November 12. Photo: EPA
Climate change

Opinion | China’s quiet climate leadership offers hope for Global South and world

The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future.

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Russia

Opinion | Russia’s rare earth gamble is about killing 3 birds with 1 stone

Bogged down in Ukraine and wary of its reliance on Chinese imports, Moscow seeks to overcome the resource curse.

United States

Opinion | How South Korea’s nuclear sub deal with US could torpedo inter-Korean peace

Seoul is clearly prioritising advancing its military capabilities with Washington’s help, rather than improving ties with Pyongyang.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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