We have featured Reinhart on WTW and think this is academic rivalry targeting one of the most prominent economists.  In a defence of the paper she developed with Ken Rogoff later into a book, Professors Rogoff and Reinhart admitted on Wednesday that an “accidental” omission of countries from the first five letters of the alphabet from one data series led to the average growth rates of the economies it surveyed being depressed. However, the academics rejected in the “strongest terms” suggestions they had manipulated data to reach conclusions.  George Osborne adopted their policies in 2010.  Article The debate continues.  Lost in all this sound and fury is the real question that we should be debating: Is it appropriate to infer that high debt is driving slower growth, and hence governments need to take greater care before taking on debt? Or is lower GDP growth, or perhaps some other factor, the reason that debt burdens rise? If the observed correlations reflect the latter reason (and there are hints that it may), then the whole exercise has little relevance to public policy.  Article

Paul Krugman joins the fray.  Video

In a study of sexual selection, most women look for broad shoulders and a narrow waist.  Is that where love starts?  Article  

Iran will wrestle the US in New York’s Grand Central Terminal next month.  Article

Known for its topless protesters, Femen is a worldwide movement against patriarchy. But are the activists’ breasts obscuring the message?  Article

The Economist write: “on many subjects Mrs Gandhi disappoints. She should offer stronger leadership after a rush of horrible cases of violent rape, murder and other abuse of women. On tackling endemic corruption, which requires new ways of financing parties, she is silent. She has even failed to distance herself from her businessman son-in-law, Robert Vadra, who did unusually well from property deals in Haryana.  Article

This year’s two sessions and the reforms supposedly to be discussed there dominate the front pages of China’s newspapers today (see gallery below). The City Lady (都市女报) from Shandong province, however, has as usual taken a slightly different view with a front page story on the “Red descendants” at the two sessions this year, i.e. the delegates who are children and grandchildren of previous Party leaders.  Article

Chile is respected for its fast-growing economy and transparent institutions, but it also has the worst inequality rate among the 34 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and widespread protests of inequalities have harried the administrations of both Bachelet and her successor, Pinera.  Millions of Chileans have staged widespread and frequent protests demanding a wider distribution of Chile’s copper riches, free education and the return of ancestral lands to Mapuche Indians in a southern region where members of Chile’s largest indigenous group often clash with timber companies and landowners.  Article