Opinion: Case against Nobel Peace Prize

26 Sept 08:46 Key points summarised by AI

The Nobel Peace Prize faces inherent contradictions, potentially encouraging individuals to instigate conflicts only to resolve them for recognition, thus undermining its core principles.
Historically, the award has been criticized for politicization and controversial choices, such as the 1973 prize to Henry Kissinger and a North Vietnamese leader, which many viewed as honoring war architects.
The prize's immense prestige risks fostering dangerous vanity, tempting powerful figures to create suffering or strife simply to play the hero and win the award.
Given the complexity of identifying true peacemakers and the potential for misjudgment, the article suggests the prize's current format may be counterproductive, proposing alternative forms of recognition.

Government to start building Chainat-Pasak-Gulf water diversion canal next year

Today 14:58 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's government will launch the "Chainat-Pasak-Gulf" water diversion canal project in fiscal year 2027, a seven-year mega-infrastructure initiative.
This permanent structural solution aims to mitigate recurrent central plains flooding by diverting water from the Chao Phraya River directly into the Gulf of Thailand, significantly reducing flow to major cities like Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul justifies the long-term investment as a means to reduce future damages and fiscal burdens, contrasting it with the 40-50 billion baht spent annually on short-term flood relief.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister instructed officials to expand drainage capacity into the Tha Chin River and swiftly remove water hyacinths to improve immediate flood management.