Markets

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...

History and politics sometimes repeat themselves. From a global perspective, it almost seems we are entering a new age of imperialism, though this time the key powers are the United States and China. However, despite appearances that recall the age...

Sub-Saharan Africa has two abundant resources: its youth and agricultural land. With the youngest population globally and the largest share of the world’s arable land, Africa stands to benefit greatly from getting and keeping the youth involved in agriculture. Africa’s...

It is too easy to think China’s economy is in a downward spiral, given recent headlines in the US press, from “China’s Middle-Class Dreams in Peril” to “Is China Really Collapsing?” The world has been awash with such pessimism. In...

In 2015, the value of housing assets owned by households in Singapore at the aggregate level was 55% of their net worth. Ninety percent of Singapore households owned their homes, meaning that almost all households had wealth saved in housing,...

Does Japan’s accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement mean that the Abe government has set a course for agricultural reform? The short answer is no — for several reasons. First, despite expectations that the TPP will encourage structural reform...

With its long history of feudal oppression, industrial workhouses, and dire slums, England is no stranger to deprivation. Even today, we are all too familiar with phenomena like “beds in sheds,” soaring food bank use and fuel poverty. Therefore, it...