Picture this: A group of corrupt banks get together with several similarly corrupt brokers and other parties, and collude to convince the investing public that a given asset is not only a “safe” investment, but that it’s also worth far more than investors would ever be willing to pay under ideal market circumstances. They accomplish… Read More
Authored by Steven Guinness, Those who take an interest in the actions of central banks will know that the advent of Brexit and Donald Trump’s presidency has seen the direction of monetary policy gradually change in both the UK and the U.S. Since the EU referendum, the Bank of England have raised interest rates twice,… Read More
A new analysis of OECD data by UNICEF has revealed the European countries with the most and least family-friendly policies… You will find more infographics at Statista As Statista’s Martin Armstrong notes, at the top of the overall ranking, Sweden has the highest average ranking when considering the following indicators: paid parental leave available to mothers, paid… Read More
FILE PHOTO: An employee shows the logo of ride-hailing company Careem on his mobile in his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah July 17, 2017. Picture taken July 17, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman DUBAI (Reuters) – Uber and Middle East ride-hailing business Careem will remain separate entities until at least the first quarter of… Read More
Authored by Giulio Meotti via The Gatestone Institute, Three years ago, the Italian government made a shameful decision. It veiled its antique Roman statues to avoid offending Iran’s visiting President Hassan Rouhani. Nude statues were encased in white boxes. A year earlier, in Florence, another statue featuring a naked man in Greco-Roman style had also been coveredduring the… Read More
[Reuters] Asia stocks cautious before Fed, oil on defensive [Reuters] Oil prices fall for second day on weak economic data [Reuters] China’s home prices growth fastest in five months, raises policy challenge [Reuters] Breakingviews – China infrastructure bump comes at steeper cost [AP] Tensions rise as Iran speeds up enrichment, US sends troops [Bloomberg] China Home Price Growth Quickens as Buyer… Read More
Authored by William Astore via TomDispatch.com, The American Cult of Bombing and Endless War From Syria to Yemen in the Middle East, Libya to Somalia in Africa, Afghanistan to Pakistan in South Asia, an American aerial curtain has descended across a huge swath of the planet. Its stated purpose: combatting terrorism. Its primary method: constant… Read More
A Pakistani politican’s very serious press conference turned into a feline fiasco on Friday after the entire meeting was broadcast over Facebook Live with the “cat filter” setting turned on. <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–><!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–> Secretary General Shaukat Yousafzai of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government conducted the meeting, completely unaware that he was sporting a… Read More
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog, If you use any form of social media whatsoever, you’ve probably seen the scary “mass shootings map” published by PBS, leading people to believe that they live in a terrifying place and that strict gun control is the only answer. You’ve probably read some of the cries for gun… Read More
Amid the ongoing trade war with the US, consultations between China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and rare earth industry executives have laid the groundwork for limiting rare-earth element (REE) exports. During a Monday press conference, the Chinese NDRC said it was developing new state policies on rare earth metals, and intends to make… Read More
Not since 2008 have we seen so much bad economic data come rolling in all at the same time. Even without a war with Iran, which by the way is looking increasingly likely with each passing day, it definitely appears that the U.S. economy is steamrolling toward recession territory. The employment numbers for last month… Read More
Authored by Doug Bandow via National Interest, Albright typifies the arrogance and hawkishness of Washington blob… <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–><!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–> How to describe U.S. foreign policy over the last couple of decades? Disastrous comes to mind. Arrogant and murderous also seem appropriate. Since 9/11, Washington has been extraordinarily active militarily—invading two nations, bombing and… Read More
The Iranian Ambassador to the UK Hamid Baeidinejad warned that the United States and Iran are “unfortunately headed toward a confrontation which is very serious for everybody in the region.” In an interview with Christiane Amanpour, the Ambassador reacted to rapidly escalating tensions between the two countries – late on Monday the US announced it… Read More
Authored by Lee Camp via TruthDig.com, Good news, folks! We have found the answer to the American election system! <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–><!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–> Why do we need an answer? Well, our election system is… how do you say… a festering rancid corrupt needlessly complex rigged rotten infected putrid pus-covered diseased dog pile of stinking,… Read More
California and Texas are the states hosting the biggest populations of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., according to estimates by Pew Research Center. The two states were supporting undocumented populations of 2 million people and 1.6 million people in 2017 respectively. New York, Florida, Illinois and several more states along the Eastern seaboard also have a large population… Read More