BLOGS | Sam Beatson, Ph.D.

Foreign investors cannot get enough of Sea, Grab, Gojek and other regional unicorns

A new boss at L’Oréal will have to prove he is worth it April 17, 2021

What will beauty habits look like after the pandemic?

Life after the C-suite April 17, 2021

The adjustment process can be painful

KAL’s cartoon April 17, 2021

Annalena Baerbock: the woman who could become Germany's first Green chancellor April 16, 2021

Baerbock embodies the once-fringe party's emergence as a force capable of conquering the German political centre. Two years ago the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany's top broadsheet, conducted a “wordless interview” with Annalena Baerbock. In it, the co-leader of the country's Green party replied to the questions with photo answers. She’s considered tough – where does she get her strength? […]

Podcast: Hong Kong's sanctions gridlock April 16, 2021

Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin and Emily Tamkin in Washington DC are joined by Jessie Lau on the World Review podcast. While countries including the US and UK impose sanctions on China over anti-democratic reforms in Hong Kong, some commentators argue economic measures have "practically no effect" - and may contribute to anti-Asian sentiments in western countries. In […]

Why it’s implausible for Joe Biden to say the US was “successful” in Afghanistan April 16, 2021

After two decades of American presence in Afghanistan, the Taliban is resurgent. There is a scene in the movie Burn After Reading that goes like this. A CIA supervisor asks his underling, "What did we learn, Palmer?" Palmer replies, "I don't know, sir." The supervisor says, "I don't f***ing know either. I guess we […]

How empty stadiums are killing the character of sport clubs April 16, 2021

Playing sports behind closed doors undermines the crucial role of supporters in shaping their club’s identity. Until recently, playing behind closed doors was an exception for sports teams. On rare occasions, fans have been barred from stadiums to quell potential crowd trouble, punish racist behaviour, or even to defy political authorities, as when Barcelona insisted […]

Why everyone – especially Labour – should be watching the West Midlands mayoral election April 16, 2021

The contest between Andy Street and Liam Byrne is a defining test of whether Labour can begin to regain lost ground. In Mother Tongue, his 1990 book on the history of the English language, Bill Bryson claimed that the French have an expression, “être de Birmingham”, which translates roughly as “to be bored to death”. Attempts […]

The method in Microsoft’s merger madness April 15, 2021

Making sense of the software giant’s acquisitive streak