China Crisis Series

China's greatest challenge will be escaping the middle income trap

Jan 28, 2016 02:57 am UTC| Insights & Views

Chinas slower growth figures have caused jitters in world financial markets. Nevertheless its growth remains at miracle levels. At this pace, China would appear to remain on track to become the richest and most powerful...

Climate Change Series

Hasta la vista El Niño - but don’t hold out for ‘normal’ weather just yet

Jan 28, 2016 02:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Australias rainfall is perhaps the most variable of any continent on Earth. When averaged across the country, rainfall in 2015 was only slightly below normal. However, there were large areas of both extreme dry and...

Why Britain pulling out of the EU won't give it complete control over its affairs

Jan 28, 2016 02:34 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

For years, crusaders of the Eurosceptic cause have claimed that all the evils of the world will disappear once Britain leaves the European Union. British fishermen and women will be able to fish as much cod as they like...

Non-police doing police-type work operate in a perilously grey area of law

Jan 28, 2016 02:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

A violent scuffle at a Sydney hospital this month left a police officer with a gunshot wound to his upper leg and a security guard with a gunshot wound to his calf. Union secretary Gerard Hayes decried the lack of legal...

Expect no policy action at FOMC meet, March also likely to be a close call

Jan 27, 2016 10:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Central Banks

The FOMC is largely expected to remain patient in the current environment at its 26-27 January 2016 meeting and its outlook for the labor market and inflation is unlikely to change materially. Focus will remain on the...

Precious metals gain as investors gauging this asset avenue as safe haven – ETFs diverging again

Jan 27, 2016 08:39 am UTC| Insights & Views

Over the past month, precious metals prices diverged. While palladium and platinum fell by 10% and 2% m/m respectively, gold and, to some extent, silver benefited from safe-haven demand on the back of the turmoil in global...

The good old days: how nostalgia clouds our view of political crises

Jan 27, 2016 05:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

After five prime ministers in five years, many fear that Australias political system is irrevocably broken. The Conversation, in partnership with Griffith Review, is publishing a series of essays exploring the problems...