Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic stimulus package shows that he and his political allies are in charge of economic policy.
GCIS
Ramaphosa’s stimulus package is more interesting for what it says about the politics of economic decision making than for its likely impact on the economy.
A study published in the British Medical Journal Open reports that midwifery patients were 41 per cent less likely to have a small-for-gestational-age baby compared to patients of obstetricians.
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New research shows that midwifery care is not just for the wealthy – it has health and cost benefits for vulnerable women and provincial governments must act to increase their access.
A resident of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation is photographed while speaking about water and access issues in her community in February 2015. The Shoal Lake community, despite supplying water to the city of Winnipeg, has long been under a boil-water advisory and is only just getting year-round road access.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
Governments in Canada are routinely enacting public policies that primarily benefit economic elites, raising questions about government legitimacy and competency. Who’s looking out for us?
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Poorer families don’t have the resources to achieve the same as better off families – yet they’re being blamed for their situation.
MorganStudio/Shutterstock
Social mobility is linked to geography in the UK – and local leaders should be tasked with boosting it.
file aqomku.
In just a few years, Burkina Faso has become the fourth largest gold exporter in Africa. But with 43% of the population still below the poverty line, what are the local benefits?
Labor’s plan to pay super to women on paid parental leave would barely boost their retirement incomes.
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Bill Shorten says Labor’s plan to make super contributions on behalf of women on paid parental leave would have a “big impact”. We find its impact would be be minuscule.
Pressmaster / Shutterestock
Many millions are in need of short-term credit to supplement poor and exploitative pay.
On a budget.
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Around 1 in 8 Americans was poor in 2017. That doesn’t compare well to other developed nations.
South African police on patrol in Hout Bay, Cape Town, following requests for more intervention by locals.
EPA-EFE/Nic Bothma
Increasing police patrols won’t solve South Africa’s high rates of violent crime. Underlying problems need to be addressed.
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The collapse of the oil price in 2014 highlighted the need for Nigeria to dilute its exposure on the commodity.
EPA/Nic Bothma
South Africans debating the zero rating of certain products for VAT purposes must realise it isn’t a panacea for poor people and should be accompanied by other policies.
Four people died in the latest violence and looting to hit shops owned by foreign nationals in Soweto, Johannesburg.
Sowetan/Thulani Mbele
Framing xenophobic violence as a question of immigrant victimisation invites divisions between neighbours.
The spotlight is on Wonga.
Ink Drop / Shutterstock.com
Far too many people in Britain rely on high-cost short-term credit from alternative lenders.
South Africa is struggling to eradicate poverty.
EPA/Nic Bothma
Despite a relatively slow start, South Africa can speed up its implementation of the SDGs.
A community built tree nursery in Chikwawa District, Malawi is one example of sustainability in action.
Deepa Pullanikkatil
Without contextual knowledge, education and adaptation, foreign or imposed practices or resources cause new sets of problems.
Lacklustre economic activity has rendered millions of South Africans unemployed and poor.
EPA/Nic Bothma
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to take South Africa’s ruling party seriously when it talks about economic reform.
There’s a hue and cry about Doug Ford’s scrapping of Ontario’s basic income project. But the project was a failing experiment with a dearth of high-quality data.
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Ontario’s basic income project was deeply flawed and cursed by a lack of quality data. It needs a major overhaul.
Shutterstock/Butus
Glues, paints, spray deodorants and fuels are all abused for their psychoactive effects.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the television shortly after the opening bell.
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Economists, politicians and the media watch GDP closely. But it isn’t the best way to measure the health of the US economy.