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When the Covid-19 crisis first struck Italy earlier this year, this column warned it might set off a chain of events that would wreck the Mediterranean country’s economy. On 10 March (A catastrophe that will cripple Italy), I pointed out that Italy would experience an economic collapse as public debt soared past 150 percent of GDP. Read more

One of the shortest jokes about economics goes like this: Teach a parrot to say supply and demand, and you have created an economist. But there is an even better joke: Teach a parrot to say demand and demand, and you have created a politician. Read more

These days, even the German army cannot afford to neglect its green credentials. Pity if that’s the only thing it is good at. Read more

Analogies are fun, but good luck using them to change someone’s mind. I’ve heard plenty of conservatives in the US (and everywhere else) say the economy is like a household and the president is like a CEO. Read more

Just a few hours into the vote count of the US Presidential election, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša sent out a congratulatory tweet – but to the wrong president-elect. “It’s pretty clear that American people have elected @realDonaldTrump @Mike_Pence for #4moreyears,” Janša wrote. Read more

In a year of bad news, the past few weeks were a welcome exception. Pfizer’s announcement of a potentially effective Covid-19 vaccine opens a path back to normal life. Read more

There is something special about Adele, Madonna and Sia. Because these pop divas are only ever referred to by their first names. Read more

A Joe Biden Presidency looks increasingly likely. But the election was nail-bitingly close. Read more

It can be tough to know what to make of events as they happen on election days. In New Zealand, the task of working out who is winning is fairly simple. Read more