Some of the US president-elect’s preferred candidates for key posts may seem bizarre, but there could be a method in the madness.

Once more, political bias in US mainstream media misrepresents voting realities on the ground.

Challenges facing Mekong River development deserve better attention throughout South-East Asia, while the solutions need urgent action.

Asean is a realities-grounded institution with certain strengths, which are hidden only to those who fail to appreciate them.

Western institutions like Goldman Sachs expect BRICS to dominate the world economy by 2050, but still cannot understand how it works despite its strengths.

Cool heads are needed among Asean partners in the current stormy waters of the South China Sea; heated confrontations will only leave everyone as losers.

AS the new Pakatan Harapan administration was being sworn in on May 10 last year, some anxiety stirred in Singapore.

MORE than ever since the latest military coup of 2014, Thailand seems likely to stagger towards a scheduled election.

Nothing should be assumed too easily about even an established scandal like 1MDB, certainly not guilt or culpability, if sound investigations and public confidence are not to be prejudiced.

Much of the world’s fortunes revolves not around US-China trade but US-China relations as a whole, where problems require more time and effort to resolve.

The popular mandate based on legitimate elections must be recognised and respected, whatever the result and whoever the winner or loser, and even regardless of the system.

NOW that the quartet of Asean-related summits is over for the year, so should the niggling criticisms. At least they should – more important matters are at hand.