Economics

After the 25 April 2015 earthquake, and the massive aftershock on 12 May, Nepal is entering the second phase of its recovery and reconstruction. Losses are still being tallied, so it is not yet possible to detail a complete list...

The US dollar's strong advance in the second half of May showed signs of tiring as last week drew to a close.  It could be a function of month end flows, but the magnitude of the dollar's advance and the...

Declarations of support for “hardworking people” were commonly heard in the UK general election. This was echoed in the Queen’s Speech, when David Cameron said the 26-bill package was a “programme for working people”. Our research shows that there is...

Japan’s most important foreign policy goal is to create an environment under which China’s rise will be peaceful and cooperative. In strategic terms, maintaining the balance of power in the region and creating crisis prevention and management mechanisms are the...

There is a specter haunting Europe. A specter that rejects the status quo.  Last weekend, Spain's ruling PP lost majorities in all key municipalities and regional governments.  The opposition itself is fragmented, and nine of the ten major municipalities will...

During the past decade, attacks on religious minorities have cast a shadow over Indonesia’s reputation as a tolerant and moderate Muslim-majority nation. Across the archipelago Christian, Buddhist, Ahmadi and Shi’ite communities have been exposed to increasing levels of discrimination, harassment,...

A number of major issues threaten to degrade, if not entirely disrupt, Myanmar’s elections scheduled for November. These issues include ongoing fighting between the military and various armed ethnic armies, violent social and religious tensions between Buddhists and Muslims, and...

What does China’s rise as a major power mean for Australia? The answer depends on whom you ask. In March 2015, the Sydney Morning Herald’s International Editor, Peter Hartcher, described China as a fascist state that bullies its own citizens...

Arrests of the leaders of the international football federation FIFA on corruption charges happened in Zurich, Switzerland. The police arrested seven FIFA officials though 14, both in and out of the group, are facing charges of high-level corruption. The arrests...

A recent study has shown an interesting correlation between the drop in US alcohol-related car accidents and the overall growth of the US economy. According to the study, as the number of alcohol-related accidents has dropped, the US economy has...

A light bout of profit taking has seen yesterday's strong dollar gains pared.  Yesterday, the Dollar Index rose 1.3%, its biggest single day rise since July 2013.  There has been a dearth of fresh trading incentives, and consolidative tone has...

A two-page paper published by John Nash in 1950 is a seminal contribution to the field of Game Theory and of our general understanding of strategic decision-making. That paper, “Equilibrium points in N-person games”, introduced a cornerstone concept, which came...

I’m not much for glossing over the true state of affairs just to make things look better, which is why I take issue with many government reports.  When it comes to providing clear information on the economy, the U.S. government...

Over the past six years, unilateral and escalatory actions by claimants to territories in the South China Sea have exacerbated tensions in the region. China has not been the precipitator of the tensions in these waters — whether it is...

Of the 8.5 million Americans that remain unemployed, 40 percent of those have given up looking for work. The job participation rate has fallen to a 37-year low. Of the 8.5 million Americans that remain unemployed, 40 percent of those...