In four decades of independence, Zimbabwe’s rulers have been able to deploy the security forces to crush protests even as the southern African nation sank deeper into economic crisis. Judging from the latest bout of unrest, that may no longer be true. Crowds showed little fear as they poured onto the streets of the capital, Harare, and other major cities when the main labour federation called a... 

Prices for gas imported by Ukraine from European countries hit a record high in November, according to data published by the country’s State Fiscal Service. The gas is most likely Russian in origin resold to Kiev at a premium. The State Fiscal Service of Ukraine calculated an average cost of imported natural gas that formed during its customs clearance when it enters the territory of Ukraine. “The... 

With South Africa reeling amid concerns of land expropriation, the rand tumbling amid broad emerging market fears and the local economy pressured by collapsing consumer spending, moments ago the Pretoria-based Statistics South Africa announced that Q2 GDP contracted at a 0.7% annualized rate, missing expectations of a 0.6% increase, and together with the sharp drop in Q1 GDP, South Africa has now... 

A 2.4 kg chicken is worth 14,600,000 bolivars, or $2.22. Inflation in communist Venezuela this year could top one million percent, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts. This gallery puts the buying power of today’s bolivar into perspective. A kilogram of meat costs 9,500,000 bolivars, or the equivalent of $1.45. Hyperinflation destroys purchasing power of money and encourages hoarding... 

Venezuela is facing one of the worst hyperinflationary crises in modern history, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It expects the country’s economy to contract by 18 percent this year amid falling oil production – the third consecutive year of double-digit declines, and three points worse than projected in May. “We are projecting a surge in inflation to 1,000,000 percent by... 

Oil prices could spike as high as $200 per barrel over the next 18 months, which would cause an “economic crash of horrible proportions,” according to a new report. A research paper from economist and oil market watcher Philip K. Verleger predicts there could be a shortage of low-sulfur diesel fuel in 2020 as a result of regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aimed at cutting... 

Central banks around the world have been building up their gold stockpiles to make sure they are stored on soil they can trust. The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) says it is bringing back three tons of the country’s gold reserves stored at the Bank of England in London, Gold Seek reported. The move to repatriate 130 million dollars’ worth of gold from Budapest previously stored on British soil... 

The 28 member states of the European Union (EU) have a total debt burden of €12.5 trillion, which could be even bigger, according to the latest figures from the EU statistics office, Eurostat. Data shows that in the third quarter of 2017 the EU’s debt-to-GDP ratio fell from 82.9 percent to 82.5 percent when compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Greece’s general government-debt-to-GDP... 

A weak US dollar, a possible war between the US and North Korea or the impeachment of Donald Trump could result in one of the longest-ever rallies for gold, according to precious metals expert Jim Rickards. “This is gold’s breakout year. We are in the third bull market of my lifetime – and we have a very long way to run,” Rickards said in an interview to Kitco News. The reasons for... 

Peter Schiff was among the few economists who correctly predicted the financial crisis in 2008. Ten years later, he sees another crisis emerging: a crisis that can crash the stock market and wipe out the US dollar. “I predicted a lot more than just the stock market going down back then. I predicted the financial crisis, but more importantly, I predicted what the government would do as a result of... 

With Congress wrestling over a tax reform plan that critics say would explode the government budget deficit, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said she also is concerned over the surging level of public debt. A Senate committee passed the GOP-sponsored proposal, which would slash the corporate tax rate and lower individual income rates for many Americans. However, the price tag of the plan is in... 

Liechtenstein (population 37,000) has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) larger than 14 African states, while Belgium (pop. 11m) and Australia (pop. 24m) have a GDP larger than 41 African states and their population of more than 990 million all added together—definitive proof that achievement is linked to race, and not “environment.” Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of the value of economic... 

Venezuela has defaulted on its £45billion debt after missing interest payments sparking fears investors could seize the country’s oil as payment. Caracas faced the first of what could be a cascade of defaults on its enormous foreign debt Tuesday as financial experts Standard and Poor’s declared the crisis-torn South American country in ‘selective default’. S&P’s... 

The bottom half of adults in the world collectively own less than the richest one percent, according to a Credit Suisse report. The gap between the super-rich and the poor has significantly grown since the global crisis. The wealthiest one percent owned 42.5 percent of global wealth in 2008, the bank reports. “The downward trend reversed after 2008 and the share of the top one percent has been... 

Why have stock prices risen so dramatically since the last financial crisis? There are certainly many factors involved, but the primary one is the fact that the Federal Reserve has been creating trillions of dollars out of thin air and has been injecting all of that hot money into the financial markets. But now the Federal Reserve is starting to reverse course, and this has got to be the greatest...