If there is one art Prime Minister John Key’s New Zealand government has mastered, it is expectation management. So for its eighth budget, delivered yesterday, expectations were low. Read more

It is a journalistic sin to come up with headlines such as “Small earthquake in Chile, not many dead”. With that in mind, you have to pity journalists trying to write about yesterday’s budget. Read more

In 1965, South Korea and Kenya had more in common than they have today. In summary, both countries were poor. Read more

Stereotypes are long-lasting. Think of Africa and images of poverty, hunger and violence come to mind. Read more

History offers great value in learning. But sometimes its lessons are too difficult to understand and apply – even for those who have written the history books. Read more

History offers great value in learning. But sometimes its lessons are too difficult to understand and apply – even for those who have written the history books. Read more

Nothing is worse than politicians running out of ideas. Or to say it in the famous words of Abraham Maslow, “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” In the case of politicians, the hammer is the power to tax and the nails are all the problems that are coming their way. Read more

In his book The Ascent of Money, Harvard economic historian Niall Ferguson introduced us to what he called “the perennial truths of financial history”. They were: “Sooner or later every bubble bursts. Read more

There are a few things that New Zealand and Panama have in common. Both are home to about four million people. Read more

As the UK is heading for its referendum on EU membership, one might assume Prime Minister David Cameron’s entire focus would be on this once-in-a-generation vote. What could be more important than finally settling Britain’s uneasy relationship with Europe? Read more