Links 3 March 2014

Global Macro / Markets:

• What’s Not Being Said About Bitcoin– Tech Crunch
• Bitcoin Derivatives Sprout as Regulators Play Catch-Up – Bloomberg
• Gold Fix Study Shows Signs of Decade of Bank Manipulation – Bloomberg

The Americas:

• American Austerity, Charted Yet Again – New York Times
• Argentina plans tougher measures against businesses that raise prices – Wall Street Journal
• Fed’s Plosser: Models Hint Rates Should Rise ‘Very Soon’ – Wall Street Journal
• Do we even need a Fed balance-sheet reduction? – Financial Times

Europe:

• Cyprus government resigns as utilities privatisation bill fails – Financial Times
• Half a million in negative equity in UK – BBC
• ’One million UK buyers have never seen a rate rise’ – The Telegraph
• Labour rejects left’s candidate for next European commission president – The Guardian
• Debt-for-equity swaps offer Greece a better way – VOX
• Putin Goes to War – New Yorker
• Ukraine’s currency in free fall – Sober Look
• The path to recovery and the ECB’s role – European Union

Asia:

• Abenomics struggles to deliver Japan public works boom – Reuters
• Families Left Vulnerable in China’s Housing Market, Study Finds – New York Times
• China’s Central Bank Gets Its Yuan On – Bloomberg
• China’s central bank opens liquidity front in hot money war – Reuters
• Yuan Drops Most on Record Amid Band Widening Speculation – Bloomberg
• Attackers With Knives Kill 29 at Chinese Rail Station – New York Times
• Knife Gang Attacks China Rail Station, Killing Dozens – NPR
• Do China’s Risk Signals Point to a Meltdown? – Bloomberg
• Shadowland: China’s dirty secret – The AFR

Local:

• Government “will not play favourites”: Abbott – The AFR
• Property prices hit “temporary flat spot” – The AFR
• Lenders in fixed mortgage rate battle – The Age
• Who pays the rent? – The Age
• New plan for welfare payments – The Australian
• The plain (Qantas) truth – The Australian
• Propping-up Qantas is dangerous – The Australian
• PM eyes $5 billion in road funding – The Australian
• Foreigners in housing splurge – The Australian
• Qantas needs to grow up – The Guardian
• Let the poor pay for my fast car – Business Spectator
• Qantas ramps-up Virgin attack – The AFR
• Coal has “rosy” future – The AFR
• Industry groups left out of student visa review – The AFR
• Doctor co-visit fees are a healthy price signal – The AFR
• Gaily filling the infrastructure gap – The AFR
• Rudd’s housing gift for students – The Australian
• Rail works signal years of trouble – The Age

Other:

• The finance and growth nexus in low-income countries – VOX