United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Jan 11 that he would be seeking a second five-year term. Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, campaigned for the position in 2016 with an agenda focused…

The Covid-19 pandemic has done considerable damage to the Thai economy and has been one of the major catalysts for political grievances with the government that erupted into widespread protests last year. While Thailand’s pro-democracy,…

In the middle of the night, the Royal Thai Police came for Sirichai “New” Nathuang, a student at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus. Accused of lèse majesté or defaming the Thai monarchy for spray painting political…

After more than two months of negotiations, the Afghan peace process has resumed in Doha, Qatar, with the Afghan government and the Taliban having finalized a set of procedures and principles that will govern the…

In the U.S. Senate Chamber on January 6, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas led a futile Republican effort to challenge the 2020 election results that gave Joe Biden the White House and caused President Donald…

Thailand’s top political story of 2020 is far from over. Rising out of frustration and anger over the military-backed government’s heavy-handed response to COVID-19, the banning of the Future Forward Party, and continued authoritarian curbs…

The United States will soon have new leadership, as Congress will meet on January 6 to formally count the votes of the Electoral College. Absent a highly unlikely and very undemocratic coup d’état – an…

Last week, International Anti-Corruption Day came and went in Thailand without much notice. Scant attention was paid in the media on December 9, except for an article about a “commitment” by Thai Prime Minister Prayut…

Recently, a 16-year-old male teenager was accused of committing lèse majesté. The teenager was summoned by the Yannawa Police Station in Bangkok after the administrator of a popular Facebook page had filed a complaint with…

In mid-November, 15 Asian nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest free trade agreement, creating the world’s largest trading bloc, covering nearly a third of the global economy. All 10 members of…