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A man walks past an electronic board displaying the Nikkei 225 stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on January 5. Photo: AFP
Stocks

Macroscope | Why Asian family businesses are pivoting to private equity

Family firms, the backbone of the Asian economy, have tended to be reluctant to go public but are increasingly open to private equity funding.

United States

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

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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

By signalling how far it will go to defend its interests in Venezuela, the US might have intensified conflicts closer to home rather than resolving them.

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Ousted president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela (second from right) and his wife Cilia Flores (second from left) arrive at the Wall Street Heliport in the New York City borough of Manhattan on January 5. Photo: TNS
Ousted president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela (second from right) and his wife Cilia Flores (second from left) arrive at the Wall Street Heliport in the New York City borough of Manhattan on January 5. Photo: TNS
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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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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A man walks past a sculpture outside a building of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 17, 2019. Photo: Reuters
A man walks past a sculpture outside a building of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 17, 2019. Photo: Reuters
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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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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People take part in a demonstration against US military action in Venezuela, outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre, where ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is being held, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on January 4. Photo: AFP
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
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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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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Statues of a bull and a bear face off in front of the German stock exchange in Frankfurt. Photo: Reuters
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
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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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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A couple kiss next to a Christmas tree in Kyiv, Ukraine, during celebrations before a curfew on December 31. Photo: Reuters
A couple kiss next to a Christmas tree in Kyiv, Ukraine, during celebrations before a curfew on December 31. Photo: Reuters
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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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
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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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