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Rob Nicholls

Dr Rob Nicholls is a lecturer in business law at the UNSW Business School.

He was previously a research fellow at Swinburne University of Technology where he worked on spectrum policy matters and a research fellow at the Centre for International Finance and Regulation where he researched the intersection of competition law with financial services regulations. His research applies system and network analysis techniques, commonly used in networked industries, to examine error amplification. Rob is the Independent Telecommunications Adjudicator in a regime established to deal with wholesale disputes arising over both legacy services and migration to the NBN. He has had a thirty-year career concentrating on regulations and governance, particularly in networked industries. He has worked for Webb Henderson, the ACCC and Gilbert + Tobin.

If scandals don't make us switch banks, financial technology might

Feb 07, 2017 04:06 am UTC| Fintech

An efficient market relies on rational customers being willing to change suppliers when theres good reason to do so. But what happens when customers stay put regardless? This issue is particularly acute in the banking...

Simpler account switching would help keep our banks honest

Oct 04, 2016 09:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When the chiefs of Australias largest banks appear before the Standing Committee on Economics this week its likely theyll be asked about the current level of competition in retail banking. One of the objectives of...

Your risk, my reward: is the sharing economy becoming less selfish?

Mar 04, 2016 00:08 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

In the early days of the sharing economy, players like Uber and Airbnb provided a platform for their services, but no such protection on the risks that came with them. They shifted the risk instead to the buyers side or...

Economy

Pakistan Seeks 10 Billion Yuan Swap Boost, Eyes Panda Bond Launch in 2025

Pakistan has requested China to expand its currency swap line by 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb revealed during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington. The country already...

Wall Street Gains on Tech Rally Amid Hopes for U.S.-China Trade Easing

Wall Street closed higher on Friday, lifted by technology shares, as optimism over a potential easing of U.S.-China trade tensions buoyed markets. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) surged 1.7% after surpassing earnings expectations...

Swiss National Bank Warns of Slower Growth Amid Rising Global Risks

Swiss National Bank (SNB) Chairman Martin Schlegel warned on Friday that rising global economic risks, fueled by U.S. tariffs and trade uncertainty, will likely slow Switzerlands economic growth. Speaking at the SNBs...

Dollar Rises Amid Trade Deal Uncertainty, Yen and Franc Strengthen

The U.S. dollar edged higher Friday, rebounding from earlier losses as markets reacted to mixed signals from President Donald Trump on trade talks and monetary policy. The greenback has swung sharply this week, falling 1%...

Asian Tech Stocks Climb on Alphabet Earnings and AI Optimism

Asian stock markets mostly advanced on Friday, driven by a rally in tech shares after Alphabets strong earnings and bullish AI outlook. The U.S. tech giant beat earnings expectations and reaffirmed its commitment to...

Politics

Cardinal Re Honors Pope Francis, Urges World Leaders to Embrace His Legacy

In a powerful sermon at Pope Francis funeral on Saturday, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re called on world leaders to honor Francis legacy by caring for migrants, ending wars, and tackling climate changecentral issues...

Trump and EU’s von der Leyen Agree to Future Meeting Amid Tariff Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen briefly met on Saturday during Pope Francis funeral, agreeing to arrange a formal meeting at a later date, according to von der Leyens...

Trump and Zelenskiy Hold Key Vatican Meeting Amid Ukraine Peace Push

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy met privately at the Vatican during Pope Franciss funeral, aiming to revive stalled peace talks to end Russias war in Ukraine. In a symbolic 15-minute...

South Korea Approaches U.S. Trade Talks with Caution to Secure Tariff Exemptions

South Koreas Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said Seoul will approach trade negotiations with the United States calmly and cautiously, emphasizing a strategic stance as discussions move forward. Speaking to reporters after...

Singapore Orders Meta to Block Foreign Political Posts Ahead of Election

Singapore has ordered Facebook parent Meta (NASDAQ:META) to block Singaporean users from accessing posts made by foreigners ahead of its May 3 election. Under 2023 social media rules, foreigners are barred from publishing...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Nintendo Unveils Switch 2 Amid Tariff Concerns and Soaring Demand

Nintendo offered fans an early hands-on experience with its new Switch 2 console at an event near Tokyo on Saturday, as concerns grow that tariffs could push prices higher. Since Mr. Trump became president, tariffs have...

Apple Plans to Shift All U.S. iPhone Production to India Amid China Trade Tensions

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly planning to shift all iPhone assembly for the U.S. market to India as early as next year, in a strategic move to reduce reliance on China amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions,...

Chinese AI Startup Behind Manus Raises $75M, Targets Global Expansion

Chinese AI startup Butterfly Effect, the creator of Manus AI, has raised $75 million in a funding round led by U.S.-based venture capital firm Benchmark, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the...

Intel Sees Surge in Older Chip Demand Amid U.S.-China Trade War Fears

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is experiencing a rise in demand for its older-generation PC and server chips as the U.S.-China trade war intensifies, executives revealed after the companys latest earnings release. Economic...

Baidu Launches Advanced Ernie AI Models to Compete in China’s Growing AI Race

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) has launched upgraded versions of its Ernie artificial intelligence models, intensifying its push in Chinas fast-evolving AI landscape. At a developer conference held in Wuhan, CEO Robin Li introduced...