But recently it has also taken on a title that it would have much preferred to leave to Sydney: Australia's capital of crime.
True, there are signs of improvement in the capital's crime rate (murders this year so far number just over 270 compared with 397 for all of 1996), but from an appallingly low base.
The New York City native and Columbia Law School graduate is a strong proponent of tough law enforcement in the crime-plagued capital city.
CNN: AllPolitics - Holder Installed As Deputy Attorney General
His comments provoked a storm of criticism from Labour and Lib Dem MPs, who accused the chancellor of trying to make political capital out of an appalling crime.
BBC: Mick Philpott case: Cameron backs Osborne over comments
No wonder the capital is such a popular setting for crime fiction, from Margery Allingham to Ruth Rendell.
Authorities have said the high death toll in Mexico City was "unusual" for the capital, but ruled out the involvement of organised crime.
They have occurred in the center of the capital, Guatemala City, mostly by citizens, angry with crime and criminal impunity.
The intention is to reduce crime, preserve jobs for locals, and promote more capital-intensive industry.
Since mid-July, Caracas, Venezuela's capital, has been racked by a spree of vigilante killings as crime-weary residents take the law into their own hands.
Other crime syndicates have already tried to establish a presence in the capital.
City officials, gay-rights advocates and others joined the march Monday evening to denounce a rise in hate crime reports in a city that generally sees itself as a capital of diversity and tolerance.
Communities with less social capital have higher teenage pregnancy, child suicide, pre-natal mortality and crime rates.
Bamako, sleepy but fairly well run, with little crime and plenty of sewers and street lighting, looks nothing like the capital of one of the world's most impoverished countries.
In the last few years as deputy commissioner in London, Sir Paul has been at the heart of policing the capital and his understanding of what's needed to combat terrorism and serious and violent crime will be invaluable in his new role.
Undoubtedly, Venezuela will remain divided no matter the next president, but fair and transparent elections will help ensure the next administration has the political capital to tackle needed reforms -- from a stagnant economy to rising crimes rates, rampant transnational crime and the rebuilding of the nation's powerful state-owned oil company -- that will benefit all Venezuelans.
Since then, however, a wave of serious crime, including the rape and murder of a young girl, has reopened the debate on capital punishment.
ECONOMIST: New executioners for Sri Lanka: Hanging about | The
应用推荐