
VAT hikes can raise tax without hurting the poor: an economist sets out the evidence
South Africas 2025-6 budget has been subjected to more comment than usual. This is due to the political tensions generated by a proposed increase in value added tax (VAT). South Africas choices on how it manages the...
Could Trump be leading the world into recession?
Carolyn Franks/Shutterstock Growth forecasts for the US and other advanced economies have been sharply downgraded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the wake of dramatic swings in US president Donald Trumps...

Why Hollywood is finally taking horror films seriously
Horror films have always held an interesting place in cultural and cinematic circles. Despite proving consistently profitable and boasting a considerable fanbase, the genre has also been the target in several moments of...

Celebrity Traitors: my research shows voting behaviour could help identify faithfuls
With the lineup of the upcoming celebrity series of The Traitors recently leaked online, people are once again debating the best strategies that players might use to succeed. But a players voting history can also reveal...
What does the UK Supreme Court’s gender ruling mean for trans men?
Alex Segre/Shutterstock The UK Supreme Court ruling backing the biological definition of a woman has been hailed by many as providing clarity on the law. But far from the matter being settled, it has raised complex...

Trump’s obsession with trade deficits has no basis in economics. And it’s a bad reason for tariffs
Those of us who study trade and investment for a living are, I suspect, becoming exasperated with both the White House stance on tariffs and the way that this is reported in much of the media. US president Donald Trump...
How Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church’s foreign policy
Pope Francis greets visitors at Saint Peters Square, Vatican City. Ricardo Perna / Shutterstock When the late Pope Francis first stepped on to the balcony of Saint Peters Basilica following his election 12 years ago, he...