For many economists, the “official” economic data from China has long been questionable. In an effort to ease global skepticism, Beijing announced last week that local governments will now start using the same methods as the National Statistics Bureau when determining economic data. More than 800 local Chinese governments have defaulted on their debt so far this year, compared with...

Currencies Going South As geopolitical strife intensifies south of the border, currencies are devaluating in Latin America, hitting new lows. The Chilean peso was down 1 percent against the dollar – trading at 800 to the dollar from 630 a year ago – and 15 percent against the dollar over the last year.  The Columbian peso was down 0.7 percent,...

Germany, the largest economy in the eurozone and the world’s fourth largest economy, grew just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, barely escaping recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Its GDP declined 0.2 percent in the second quarter.  Their economy is expected to only grow by 0.5 percent in 2019, the lowest since 2013. As...

In an effort to protect itself against future U.S. sanctions, and to distance itself from the dollar, Russia wants to cut its $45 billion dollar holdings in its $125 billion sovereign wealth fund.    Vladimir Kolychev, Russia’s deputy finance minister, said they are “looking at different reserve currencies that meet IMF standards, including the yuan and those of other countries.”...

Last Thursday, Evo Morales, the once popular leader of Bolivia, who was pressured to resign on 11 November, accused the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) of leading a coup to replace him with a government more friendly to U.S. commercial interests. The OAS had been called in to review what was a controversial counting of votes...

It’s non-stop. Another day, another wave of violent confrontations between Hong Kong protesters and police… this time closing down universities and virtually bringing commercial traffic to a halt. Unable and unwilling to deal with escalating conflict, some colleges ended the semester early while others have been become barricaded fortresses behind which protesting students are in battle with police who are...

Among the many leaderless demonstrations sweeping the globe protesting graft, corruption, political elite dominance, income inequality, declining living standards, lack of jobs, etc., the street demonstrations in Lebanon that began in mid-October have escalated.  The protest that escalated last Wednesday, when some 250,000 were on the streets, many of them blocking the major road near the Presidential Palace, continued through...

Last Friday saw the deadly confrontations between protesters, who were closing in on government headquarters in central Baghdad, and military/police forces, who fired live bullets and tear gas to stop them from entering the zone.  Amnesty International has called the deadly force used by the Iraqi government as “nothing short but a bloodbath.” Since the massive protest ignited last month...

On Saturday, demonstrations broke out across Iran when oil prices jumped 50 percent overnight following the government’s decision to slash fuel subsidies. While the Iranian demonstrations began peacefully, riots broke out and violence escalated.  By Sunday, evening street protests had spread out to about 100 cities and towns across the country. Within those cities and towns were scenes of abandoned...

Last Tuesday, Israel’s military carried out the planned killing of Palestinian leader Baha Abu al-Ata in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli airstrike that destroyed Ata’s home also killed his wife, and his two children were seriously injured.  Israeli officials called Ata a “ticking time bomb,” claiming he was responsible for rocket attacks against Israel. Justifying the assassination, Israel’s Prime Minister,...