The dangers of frozen war

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Photo: Sana / Handout via Reuters

The gentle footsteps of normalization with the Syrian government have become considerably faster since the devastating earthquakes at the start of this month. President Bashar al-Assad, for so long diplomatically confined to Damascus, first visited Oman. This week, there was a giant leap, as Egypt’s foreign minister landed in Damascus for further post-earthquake diplomacy. It’s not exactly that […]Continue Reading

‘Horror movie set’ or ‘outstanding design’? Tampines BTO residents have mixed views on vivid colour schemes in common areas

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In: South-East Asia

In response to TODAY’s queries, HDB said on Wednesday that the “colour scheme of Tampines GreenVines is inspired by its green surroundings and nearby parks”. “As the precinct is large, the bright accent colours of the lift lobbies are intended to differentiate the different clusters of blocks and facilitate wayContinue Reading

The world after Taiwan’s fall

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Let us start with our bottom line: a failure of the United States to come to Taiwan’s aid – politically, economically, and militarily – in the event of a takeover attempt by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would devastate the Unites States’ credibility and defense commitments to its allies and partners, not just in […]Continue Reading

Population decline, economic slowdown not necessarily bad things

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On January 17, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced that the country’s population fell in 2022 by 850,000 from 2021, which was the first population decline witnessed by the country in six decades. This has mostly resulted from low birth rates stemming from the imposition of China’s one-child policy from 1980 to 2015, as well as from voluntary […]Continue Reading