By Pepe Escobar, Asia Times “Pipelineistan” – the prime Eurasian energy chessboard — never sleeps. Recently, it’s Russia that has scored big on all fronts; two monster gas deals sealed with China last year; the launch of Turk Stream replacing South Stream; and the doubling of Nord Stream to Germany. Now, with the possibility of sanctions on … Continue reading
After five weeks of closure, the Athens Stock Exchange reopened on Monday and immediately the trend went sharply down. Investors do not believe that a recovery of the Greek economy could occur soon. Greece’s stock market reopened after five weeks to the most savage wave of selling in decades, underlining a crisis that’s crippled the … Continue reading
By Dragan Pavlićević As China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative gains momentum, most interpretations of Beijing’s initial OBOR-related activities have centered on the implications of OBOR for China and her immediate neighborhood. Europe, however, has a special place within the strategy. Europe features as the end point for both OBOR’s sea (Belt) and land (Road) … Continue reading
The Greek manufacturing industry fell at a record pace and collapsed in July amid capital controls and as uncertainty grows over the country’s future relationship with the Eurozone. A manufacturing gauge by Markit Economics, known as the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), showed that Greek manufacturing plunged to an all-time low of 30.2 in July, from 46.9 in … Continue reading
“My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Luca Brasi held a gun to his head and my father assured him that either his brains, or his signature, would be on the contract.” … Continue reading
By Charles Hugh Smith You’ve probably read that there is a “war on cash” being waged on various fronts around the world. What exactly does a “war on cash” mean? It means governments are limiting the use of cash and a variety of official-mouthpiece economists are calling for the outright abolition of cash. Authorities are … Continue reading
By Chas Freeman China’s “The Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” or officially called the “one belt, one road” project aims to bring into being a new economic order on the Eurasian landmass. Everything from the Atlantic to the Pacific is to be connected through hyper-efficient infrastructure and new institutional linkages. … Continue reading
China’s top leadership vowed on Thursday to use targeted policies to combat the “relatively big” downward pressure on its economy, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reports. The Politburo, China’s top decision-making body, said that the nation will keep its macro policies stable, make “pre-emptive adjustments”, and fine-tune economic policies in a timely manner in order to support … Continue reading
By Michael Snyder Right now, the financial world is focused on the breathtaking stock market crash in China, but don’t forget to keep an eye on what is happening in Europe. Collectively, the European Union has a larger population than the United States, a larger economy than either the U.S. or China, and the banking … Continue reading
By Nafis Alam More turbulence on the Chinese stock market highlights just some of the challenges facing the world’s second-largest economy. Following losses of US$3 trillion in the three weeks from mid-June, the Shanghai Composite has since recorded its biggest one-day fall for more than eight years. It’s clear that regulatory reform is needed in the … Continue reading