Japan offers us many lessons in embracing longevity

Jan 22, 2016 05:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Japan is famous for the longevity of its citizens. A quarter of its population is older than 65. That is a proportion that Australia is likely to reach only by 2056. Japans experience makes it an interesting example to...

The secret to successful state-owned enterprises is how they're run

Jan 22, 2016 05:12 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

State-owned companies are often touted as necessary tools for development in emerging economies. This is because they can be directed by governments to achieve development ends. The model has been a success in some...

Vital Signs Series

Vital Signs: economy limps towards more rate cuts

Jan 22, 2016 03:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Vital Signs is a new weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualise weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data impacting...

Why we keep getting snared in Islamic State’s propaganda trap

Jan 22, 2016 03:51 am UTC| Insights & Views

The rise of Islamic State (IS) has reaffirmed what al-Qaeda and the Taliban proved last decade: strategic communications, particularly counter-propaganda efforts, remains one of the key weaknesses of Western...

South Korea's 3% growth is not too bad

Jan 22, 2016 02:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

South Koreas 4Q15 GDP is due next week. The growth is expected to decelerate to 2.0% (QoQ saar), down from 5.3% in 3Q15. The fall in exports and investment should have been the main drag, a reflective of the headwinds from...

How white are the Oscars and does it matter?

Jan 22, 2016 01:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment

In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first African American to win an Academy award for best actor in a leading role for Lilies of the Field. It took another 38 years for another African American, Denzel Washington, to...

Gender fluidity is great — but only if you're an icon

Jan 21, 2016 23:49 pm UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment Law

For all that Miley Cyruss cropped hair and crotch-clutching and I dont relate to being boy or girl have inspired articles about gender fluidity as the new in thing, its hard not to see Cyruss trailblazing as derivative of...