Africa remains a target as Global South 'land rush' moves to production
Oct 11, 2016 07:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
In 2007, a spike in commodity prices triggered a sudden increase in demand for agricultural land across the world. It was believed that commercial investors in the Global North speculated on a rise in land and commodity...
Trump vs. Clinton: Three key moments from the second debate
Oct 10, 2016 06:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took the debate stage Sunday evening. We asked three scholars from the Washington University in St. Louis, where the debate was held, to pick a key quote from the evening and tell us why it...
Trump and Clinton's second debate: American politics is in the gutter
Oct 10, 2016 06:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The second US presidential election debate was widely billed as a heavyweight bout. In the event it was a score draw but the clear loser was the American political process. This election continues to be a rollercoaster...
The US used foreign investment to develop a new car industry, a lesson Australia hasn't learned
Oct 10, 2016 00:14 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
In Australia, car makers have come to be seen by many as more of a cost than a benefit, a failing industry that was too reliant on government handouts. But in the United States, many state governments have attracted...
Genuine democracy involves more than just polling people
Oct 10, 2016 00:11 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
What is the best way to resolve conflicts in a democracy? This question took centre stage in South Africa after the University of the Witwatersrand (known as Wits) set up an electronic poll to ask students and staff...
'Don't feed the trolls' really is good advice – here's the evidence
Oct 09, 2016 23:43 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
Almost half the population of the planet now has access to the internet, with about one in three of those people regularly active on social media. But this increased opportunity to socialise and communicate in a virtual...
We don't know why South Australia's wind farms stopped working, so hold off on the blame game
Oct 07, 2016 16:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Australias energy ministers are meeting today in an emergency gathering following South Australias recent state-wide blackout. The blackout, following wild weather across the state, has seen an extraordinary response...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects