Breakingviews

Review: Lessons for the poor from English history

By Martin Hutchinson
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

It took England centuries to develop a successful industrial economy. Poor countries today want to recapitulate the process in a few decades. In “The Political Economy of Nation Building” development consultant Mack Ott draws some lessons from the English experience.

West still rules in global education

By Edward Hadas

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

In most aspects of current affairs, the world’s traditional economic leaders are losing ground to developing nations. But when it comes to top quality universities, the old powers remain firmly in the lead. Of the top 200 universities in the world, 42 percent are in Europe and another 42 percent in the United States and Canada. Add in the countries which are basically European and American settlements – Israel, Australia and New Zealand – and the West’s share comes to 90 percent. Those countries account for only 50 percent of global GDP.

Even one-sided Chinese investment has its benefits

By Christopher Swann

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Canada wants equal rights for its companies to pile into China.  The country’s opposition leader says his compatriots would be “chumps” if they allowed state-owned CNOOC to buy Canadian oil group Nexen without China granting equal access to its natural resources. Demands for reciprocity seem only fair. But workers and investors in rich countries gain even if the money flows only one way. It’s the Middle Kingdom that misses out by being less welcoming.

New U.S. stress test needed: higher interest rates

By Agnes T. Crane and Richard Beales
The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own. 

“Don’t fight the Fed,” the saying goes. The U.S. Federal Reserve is promising ultra-low interest rates into 2015. Yet the buildup of low-yielding debt on financial firms’ balance sheets means they may suffer badly if rates jump. The central bank aside, prudent bosses – and their watchdogs – need to ensure they are avoiding fights with history, too.

No easy fix for South Africa platinum crisis

By Kevin Allison

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Platinum looks like a commodity from hell, and not just because it is dug from especially deep mines. The economics and the politics point to a long crisis.

Indonesia may be unfairly tarred by Bumi’s brush

By Wayne Arnold

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Bumi Resources is not a metaphor for Indonesia. The heavily indebted coal miner, currently at the centre of a financial probe and corporate governance spat, has said it may have to sell assets or shares. With coal prices weak, the drama at Bumi Resources spells more trouble for creditors and shareholders, including those of its London-listed parent. Indonesia must hope it is not unfairly tarred by the association.

Nine answers that should win the White House

By Daniel Indiviglio and Antony Currie
The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own.

President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent Mitt Romney finally face off in their first presidential debate on Wednesday evening. With domestic policy as the theme, the two are likely to be challenged to outline their policies for fixing the economy. Breakingviews concocts the nine answers we’d like to hear – ones that could win either candidate the White House in November.

Bigger bucks come to Supreme Court clerks who wait

By Reynolds Holding and Richard Beales
The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own.

Bigger bucks come to Supreme Court clerks who wait. Top U.S. law firms are offering $280,000 signing bonuses to lure the young attorneys who work with America’s nine top judges. But many do stints with the government first. A new Breakingviews calculator shows how that path can be financially smarter over the long run.

Chinese sightseers present challenge to the world

By Wei Gu

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

China’s Golden Week has started with two fatal accidents. In Hong Kong, 37 people died when a public ferry crashed into a boat taking revellers to watch a fireworks display. On the mainland, five German doctors were killed in a bus collision near Beijing. Half of China’s 1.4 billion inhabitants are expected to travel during the national holiday. Yet while the country’s new love of tourism is an economic blessing, it creates logistical challenges.

Forming ECON Team 4 is next president’s top task

By Rob Cox and Daniel Indiviglio
The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own.

Mitt Romney says the first day of his presidency would be exceptionally busy. The former Massachusetts governor has promised to overturn two of his predecessor’s landmark legislative achievements, the Affordable Healthcare Act and the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill; he would approve the Keystone energy pipeline from Canada, introduce sweeping tax cuts and brand China a currency manipulator.