Markets

We just learned America’s rental affordability crisis is as bad as it has ever been. Unfortunately, it is about to get a whole lot worse.  The American Community Survey for 2014, released a few weeks ago, found that the number...

The burst of Japan’s massive financial bubble in 1990 caused the value of stocks, land and other assets to plummet. Japanese banks had financed their asset purchases using them as collateral. Many banks failed due to a combination of the...

The Bank of England has entered the EU referendum debate. Its report, along with comments from Governor Mark Carney, emphasise the benefits that membership of the EU brings the UK. Carney says membership makes the UK more dynamic, giving it...

The haze enveloping Singapore since June 2015 highlights the significance of its bilateral relationship with Indonesia. Just as Singaporeans cannot escape the devastating health impact of ‘slash-and-burn’ deforestation in Sumatra, emerging trends in Indonesia will have an impact on Singapore....

The UK has rolled out the red carpet for Chinese president Xi Jinping on his five-day official visit. He gets the royal treatment, including a stay at Buckingham Palace, a ride in a state carriage along The Mall and several...

In early 2015, Japanese companies, Panasonic and Toshiba, announced that they would stop producing television sets in China. As Japan continues to decrease its investment in China, the two multinational corporations’ partial exit seemed to underscore an overall trend of...

Earlier this year, during the Prince Phillip knighthood debacle (dubbed #knightmare by Twitter) we speculated how Tony Abbott could make Malcolm Turnbull his treasurer, in place of the hapless Joe Hockey, and thereby save his prime ministership. Furthermore, we said...

Africans have long engaged in capitalist economic transactions. However, the type of capitalism introduced by colonialists does not always align with the needs of Africans. It remains overly informed and driven by agendas set outside the continent. Africans have long...

Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party is using the Seven Prohibitions to shut down discussion about liberal constitutional reform. In comparison, constitutional deliberations in Vietnam appear open, vibrant and far-reaching — prompting some commentators to speculate on whether...

The week began subdued for EM, but selling pressures continue for the most part.  The dollar is mixed against majors and with the decision about the timing of the first Fed hike still up in the air, it’s hard to...

I was never one that anticipated the BOJ to step up its unorthodox easing of monetary policy next week.  Talking with officials here, I have become even more convinced that there is no strong sense of urgency to act.  I was...

In the latest instalment of Uber versus the taxi industry, the Taxi Industry Forum of WA has conceded the sector could have done better. Responding to a Western Australian Government green paper into the “on demand” transport industry, it has...

In September 2015, the National Wage Council (NWC) of Vietnam proposed an increase of 12.4 percent to the minimum wage in 2016. The key parties — representatives of business in the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the...

In part two of our analysis of rising homophobia in Africa we look at how the US right-wing evangelists have used their power base to spread propaganda against gays. Their powerful presence has influenced African archbishops, politicians and lawmakers. In...

In a two-part article, we look first at the high economic costs of the severe homophobia in modern African states. Lowering the national GDP is a price few developing countries can afford.   In part two, we will look at the...