The prospects for the creation of a navigable canal between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf are currently being reviewed by Iran and Russia, Mehdi Sanaei, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said last Friday at a meeting with students at the St. Petersburg State University. Intensified discussions on the possibility of a ‘trans-Iranian’ canal began in 2012, when then-Energy Minister Majid Namjoo told Fars news agency … Continue reading
By F. William Engdahl With the US and EU economic sanctions gone, it’s becoming clear that Iran today wants to build not destroy as the West seems hell-bent to do. The latest is announcement that Teheran has decided to proceed with a major infrastructure project which will take perhaps a decade to complete—an inland canal linking … Continue reading
By Marc Chandler, Marc to Market Blog China press is reporting that policymakers are drafting rules for a so-called Tobin tax on yuan transactions Former President Lula was named to the cabinet post of Chief of Staff by his protégé, President Rousseff The Brazilian central bank said it “sees room” to partially unwind the FX swaps program … Continue reading
By Jeffrey P. Snider, Alhambra Investment Partners The Central Bank of Egypt auctioned $200 million at 8.85 per Egyptian pound rather than the prevailing 7.73. The inflationary move of devaluation is intended to help the country gain a more solid financial background due to a persisting “dollar shortage” that nobody seems to hold in much curiosity. … Continue reading
By Jeff Desjardins, Visual Capitalist The global arms trade is huge. While it’s hard to pin down an exact value of arms transfers, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that the number was at least $76 billion in 2013, with the caveat that it is likely higher. The volume of transfers have been trending upwards now … Continue reading
By Michael Snyder 350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 military helicopters are massing in northern Saudi Arabia for a military exercise that is being called “Northern Thunder”. According to the official announcement, forces are being contributed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia … Continue reading
By Pepe Escobar He came, he saw, and he pocketed all the deals that matter. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tour of Southwest Asia – Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt – could easily be sold anywhere as your typical Chinese-style win-win. On the PR arena, Xi did a sterling job polishing China’s image as a global power. … Continue reading
The Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is interested in expanding eastward and is looking to sign a free trade agreement with Hong Kong, according to Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. “We recently concluded the free trade zone agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam and are currently negotiating with Israel. We are ready … Continue reading
If Western nations continue to ignore the real problems of the Middle East region, or try to solve them militarily, versus using diplomacy and financial resources to support growth and job creation, the instability in the region will further deepen and will thus impact the global economy for “decades to come”, warns Noriel Roubini, a professor at … Continue reading
By David Wille The discovery of a massive natural gas field could take pressure off of Egyptians suffering from a historic energy crisis. But the find throws into question a pending deal with Israeli companies to import gas and takes pressure off the Egyptian government for much-needed reforms. On August 30, Italian energy giant Eni … Continue reading