Financial wizardry alone won't stave off a Chinese debt crisis
Dec 05, 2016 04:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Chinas debt is beyond worrying. Its credit-to-GDP gap, a measure employed by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) as a way to gauge debt levels, stands at 30%. This is the highest of any country going back to 1995...
John Key quits while he's ahead – so what's next for New Zealand politics?
Dec 05, 2016 04:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
No-one saw it coming. Not even the press gallery did, even when called in early for Mondays briefing from New Zealand Prime Minister John Key who unexpectedly announced his resignation. This takes effect on December 12...
Governments need to look beyond education rankings and focus on inequities in the system
Dec 05, 2016 04:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Life
The latest Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) results will be released around the world on December 6. And as usual, there will be a flurry in the news media. Australia will likely have dropped further...
How e-cigarettes could 'health wash' the tobacco industry
Dec 04, 2016 23:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health Business
The evidence that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking was described in the World Health Organisations (WHO) recent report as scant and of low certainty. Predictably, this triggered the latest round of claims and...
Should we do away with exams altogether? No, but we need to rethink their design and purpose
Dec 04, 2016 23:19 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
Over the past two decades there have been frequent calls to abandon exams. The major criticisms of exams in schools and universities tend to relate to either the misuse or overuse of exams, and not to the sensible use...
Is the Cuban healthcare system really as great as people claim?
Dec 04, 2016 23:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
Pundits have been discussing the merits (or not) of Fidel Castros legacy as his body lies in state. The Cuban healthcare system is often stated as one of El Commandantes greatest achievements. But how great is the system...
Why privatisation of social care may not be the answer to a coming crisis
Dec 04, 2016 23:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Virgin Care recently won a 700m contract to run adult social care for a council in the west of England. The seven-year deal will see the company take over three important areas of council provision: adult social care,...
Canadians are feeling increasingly powerless amid economic struggles and rising inequality
Another election, another round of Nigel Farage hype, with no lessons learned