Links 25 February 2014

Global Macro / Markets:

• Buffett’s annual letter: Learn from my real estate investments – Fortune
• Five Myths of Bond Investing – Wall Street Journal

North America:

• Dallas Fed’s Fisher Wants to Continue Reducing Bond Purchases – Wall Street Journal
• Housing Weakness: Temporary or Enduring? – Calculated Risk
• What the Stimulus Accomplished – New York Times

Europe:

• Scandal of Europe’s 11m empty homes – The Guardian
• Ukraine’s Leader Flees Palace as Protesters Widen Control – New York Times
• Greece in banking sector stand-off with bailout lenders – Financial Times
• Europe cannot afford to ignore its deflation problem – Financial Times
• Ukraine Replaces Central Bank Head – Bloomberg
• Restoring Financial Stability in the Eurozone – Cfr.org
• Post-crisis equilibrium of European banks – VOX
• There’s A New Kind Of Housing Crisis In Ireland – Business Insider

Asia:

• China steel, iron ore futures hit record lows on lending curbs – Reuters
• China Downplays Yuan, Banking Risk as Zhou Sees 7% to 8% Growth – Bloomberg
• China Stocks Drop as Property Shares Plunge Most in Eight Months – Bloomberg
• China, eyeing Japan, seeks WW2 focus for Xi during Germany visit – Reuters
• 4 signs of economic slowdown in China – Sober Look
• China Must Reduce ‘Unbearable’ Smog, Government Adviser Says – Bloomberg
• China’s Home Price Gains Slow in Big Cities on Lending Curbs – Bloomberg
• Risks of Abenomics “stalling out” – Sober Look
• China’s economic bubble is bursting – American Thinker

Local:

• OECD prescription is a hard pill for Joe Hockey to administer – The Guardian
• Abbott to take health and education cuts to next election – The AFR
• Abbott eyes “slower” spending plan – The Australian
• Abbott not backing-up tough line on costs – The AFR
• Construction rules should be “taken out the back and shot” – The AFR
• Australian construction crews enjoy the best conditions in the world – The AFR
• Brandis “fair use” controversy as out dated as the VCR – The AFR
• Qantas plan echoes BA’s brutal restructure – The AFR
• New tax test on foreign takeovers – The Australian
• Tackle spending and revenue: BCA – The Australian
• Options open for infrastructure funding – The Australian
• THE Abbott government has moved to limit pay rises being sought by childcare workers – The Australian
• Rudd truck regulator’s road to ruin – The Australian
• Counseling amid APS pay talks – Canberra Times
• NSW prepares for a gas market collision – Business Spectator
• Will the Aussie drop over the CAPEX cliff? – Business Spectator
• Direct Action will lift costs banks say – The Guardian

Other:

• Woes of Megacity Driving Signal Dawn of ‘Peak Car’ Era – Bloomberg
• How Slavery Led to Modern Capitalism: Echoes – Bloomberg
• What Makes a Bank Stable? A Framework for Analysis – New York Fed
• Are the robots about to rise? Google’s new director of engineering thinks so… – The Guardian