The problem with linking debt forgiveness to the Sustainable Development Goals – Brookings Institution

Things were looking shaky for Indonesia this time last year. Their exchange rate fell 20 percent from February to April. Their $410 billion of foreign debt swelled as their currency plunged. The collapse in tourism and fall in commodity prices meant the foreign exchange they normally used to finance those debts was evaporating. The sudden…

Congress makes student debt forgiveness tax-free, limits revenue that for-profit colleges get from enrolling veterans – The Washington Post

The tax relief is good only through January 2026, but lawmakers say it is a key step in canceling some of the $1.5 trillion in federal student loans held by 45 million Americans. Among the many concerns surrounding widespread forgiveness is whether debt relief would be subject to taxation, which could undermine the benefit to…

Greensill Farming ‘entirely independent’ of Greensill Capital – North Queensland Register

THE management of Greensill Farming says the collapse of Greensill Capital will have no impact on the Bundaberg-based farming operation. In a statement issued to Queensland Country Life, Greensill Farming says it is independent of Greensill Capital. “The Greensill Farming business operates entirely independently of Greensill Capital,” the statement reads. “The current negotiations regarding the…

Hard bump ahead? Drop in insolvencies and bankruptcies is a ticking time bomb – The Conversation AU

The vast arsenal of fiscal, monetary and legal measures used by Australian governments to offset the COVID-induced economic crisis have worked well. They did not prevent a recession (popularly defined as two quarters of negative GDP growth) but things could have been much worse. What is particularly interesting is that the expected consequences have not…

Credit Suisse shaken by aftershocks of Greensill insolvency – Sydney Morning Herald

Japanese insurer Tokio Marine, which provided $US4.6 billion of coverage to Greensill credit notes, said that it was investigating the validity of those policies which it inherited when it bought Insurance Australia Group in 2019. A source familiar with the situation said the policies were directly linked to the $US10 billion Credit Suisse funds. The…

Comedian Paul McDermott resolves historical ‘family feud’ with former foreign minister Alexander Downer – ABC News

Performer Paul McDermott and former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer have made a “gentlemen’s pact” to end a dispute between their ancestors that dates back more than 150 years. Key points: Alexander Downer’s grandfather took Paul McDermott’s great-great-grandfather to court in the 1860s Mr Downer attended McDermott’s recent Adelaide Fringe show Mr Downer, who did…