Labor Strikes Surge in China's Property and Manufacturing Sectors Amid Economic Slowdown

Aug 12, 2024 23:01 pm UTC| Economy

Labor strikes in Chinas property and manufacturing sectors have surged as the countrys economic growth slows. According to the China Labor Bulletin, strikes increased by 3% in the first half of 2024, highlighting growing...

The problem with pronatalism: Pushing baby booms to boost economic growth amounts to a Ponzi scheme

Aug 12, 2024 10:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

In the face of shrinking populations, many of the worlds major economies are trying to engineer higher birth rates. Policymakers from South Korea, Japan and Italy, for example, have all adopted so-called pronatalist...

Cameroon spends 90% of Chinese development loans on its French region: this could deepen the country’s divisions

Aug 12, 2024 10:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

In Cameroon, violent clashes between government forces and separatists from the English-speaking parts of the country started in 2017. Since then, at least 598,000 people have had to leave their homes and about 2 million...

Urban growth is leading to more intense droughts for most of the world’s cities – and Sydney is a case study for areas at risk

Aug 12, 2024 10:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The growth of cities worldwide is contributing to more intense drought conditions in many cities, including Sydney, a new Chinese study has found. This is adding to urban heat and water stress. These important findings...

Raising revenue from land: what African cities might learn from Hong Kong’s unique land-lease system

Aug 12, 2024 09:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Land prices across many African cities are soaring. This is because land is a citys key asset. As urbanisation progresses, demand for land will rise, and therefore so will land prices, because the supply of land in cities...

Climate Change Series

Dug up in Australia, burned around the world – exporting fossil fuels undermines climate targets

Aug 12, 2024 09:17 am UTC| Economy Business

Australia is one of the worlds largest exporters of fossil fuels. While this coal and gas is burned beyond our borders, the climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions affect us all. My colleagues and I at global...

Japanese Firms Grow Less Optimistic About Economy Amid Weak Yen and Inflation Concerns

Aug 11, 2024 20:51 pm UTC| Business Economy

A recent Kyodo News survey shows that 70% of major Japanese companies expect economic growth next year, down from 80% a year ago. Concerns over inflation and the weak yens impact on consumer spending drive this optimism...