Can the world really press the pause button on the economy for months without mass unemployment? The experience of the Russian Federation as it emerged from the central planning of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago may provide some indications of what is to come. When the USSR collapsedContinue Reading
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV/Shutterstock This week the UK government announced a £1 billion investment in new school construction and an additional £560 million for school repairs and upgrades. The funding is part of a package of spending proposals intended to stimulate the economy as Britain emerges from the coronavirus lockdown. School repairsContinue Reading
Grooming is the key to positive relationships. tratong/Shutterstock The world may be reopening in some places, with people looking forward to pubs, restaurants and haircuts. Many of us will no doubt also be looking forward to some time away from home – alone – once more. Spending such prolonged timeContinue Reading
Shutterstock China announced in 2017 its ambition to become the world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030. While the US still leads in absolute terms, China appears to be making more rapid progress than either the US or the EU, and central and local government spending on AI inContinue Reading
Vincente Sargues/Shutterstock Of the many ways the coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives, the banning of reusable cups by many cafes and other outlets serving hot drinks probably doesn’t appear at the top of most people’s lists. But the move is likely to add to the mountain of waste pilingContinue Reading
Iconoclasm: the beheading of the English king, Charles I, in January 1649. Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart, for his purity, by definition, is unassailable. Author James Baldwin’s words, written in the America of the late 1950s, captures perfectly a feeling in the airContinue Reading
Ambulance staff are often the first to attend the site of many difficult scenes. Yau Ming Low/ Shutterstock Being ambulance staff can be a high-stress job. They encounter many situations in their daily line of work that can have a lasting impact on their mental health. According to MIND, aroundContinue Reading
Healthy working life expectancy is the average number of years people in a population are likely to be healthy and in paid work from age 50. ALPA PROD/ Shutterstock In 1800, the global average life expectancy was only 29 years. Today, life expectancy continues to rise, with babies born inContinue Reading
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the Eden-Monaro byelection, Scott Morrison’s 2020 Defence Strategic Update, and the Coronvirus outbreak in Melbourne. Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from anyContinue Reading
Sipa USA Willie Siau / SOPA Images/Sipa U In recent days, the prime ministers of the UK and Australia each declared they are working toward providing safe haven visas for Hong Kong residents. In the US, lawmakers passed a bill that would impose sanctions on businesses and individuals that supportContinue Reading