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Just when the Europeans thought they had calmed down the euro crisis with their third bailout package for Greece, they are reminded of how fragile their economy still is. For a change, Europe’s new worries do not originate from the continent itself. Read more

If public policy and economic theory were dating, their Facebook relationship status might read “It’s complicated”. This is because what is sometimes simple to explain on a whiteboard by economists can often be difficult to prove in real life. Read more

You can tell how the mood of the global economy is turning by looking at the books getting published. Over the past few days, review copies of two new books landed on my desk. Read more

As the third Greek bailout package is currently being debated in eurozone parliaments, it is already becoming clear that it will not be sufficient. On Tuesday, the day before the Bundestag’s vote, two German broadsheets highlighted some of the uncertainties around the package. Read more

Australians could be forgiven for not closely following the leadership contest of the British Labour Party. After all, what is the point of studying the internal debates of a party that has just suffered a crushing election defeat in a general election and now faces five long years on the opposition bench? Read more

If the irate masses on the internet value African conservation efforts and the survival of wild species like lion, they need to sign a petition calling for Ricky Gervais to be shot, stuffed and mounted on a trophy room wall. Although it sounds extreme, it is the only reasonable call to make based on the internet’s need to publicly flagellate anyone deemed to be hurting animals, and the actual economic facts of how trophy hunting works in Africa. Read more

If recent media reports can be believed, Angela Merkel has decided to run for a fourth term in 2017. This will come as a surprise to those who had speculated that the German Chancellor might resign sometime before the next election. Read more

Last week’s ‘A More Inclusive New Zealand Forum’ brought together government, NGO and community representatives to discuss how to promote social and economic participation. The purpose was to get a variety of expertise in the room from economists, to policy wonks, to those working on the ground. Read more

Central government is squandering billions of dollars of householders’ income. It is doing so simply because it lacks the incentive to assess value for money with sufficient rigour. Read more