ASIA:   China’s GDP forecast is to be anywhere between 2.2 percent and 4.1 percent based on a survey conducted by Nikkei last month. Economists and other observers, globally, have also revised the GDP outlook for 2022 to 3.2 percent against Beijing’s official target of 5.5 percent. Compared to the second quarter when the economy […]

You know the situation is becoming dire when staple food items are no longer on the shelves. France is currently experiencing an egg shortage, and it is the largest egg producer in the Eurozone. The 1,500 billion eggs seen in production in 2021 are expected to decline for the first time on record this year. […]

ASIA: Growth in India’s services industry eased to a six-month low in September, led by a cooling in demand amid high inflation, a private survey showed. The S&P Global India services Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 54.3 in September from August’s 57.2, lower than the Reuters poll expectation of 57.0. However, the September reading stayed […]

The war in Ukraine escalated as a direct result of NATO’s interference. Russia felt backed into a corner, on the defensive, and felt it had no choice but to invade Ukraine in response to heightened tensions with NATO. Even the pope came out and said that NATO was antagonizing Russia by “barking at the Gates […]

ASIA:   Business sentiment among Japanese manufacturers worsened for a third straight quarter from July to September, according to a survey by the central bank, as the world’s third-largest economy struggled with rising costs, a slumping yen and pandemic restrictions. The business outlook for major manufacturers fell to plus-8 in September from plus-9 in June, […]

QUESTION: You said Bucha was not a massacre by Russians but staged by the neo-Nazis. What proof do you have? DF ANSWER: I am glad you believe the one-sided propaganda. I know Ukraine well and its culture. I have reliable sources there. I do not reveal them for I must respect their protection. There is […]

Everyone knows by now that Russia is a top exporter of energy. In 2021, 43% of total exports were mineral fuels, and Europe was the primary buyer. Let us take a look at Russia’s other tools of trade: Mineral fuels including oil: US $211.5 billion (43% of total exports) Gems, precious metals: $31.6 billion (6.4%) […]

ASIA:   The Agricultural Bank of China will provide more than 300 billion yuan ($43.3 billion) in loans to support the country’s autumn harvest and planting, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday. According to a CCTV report, the loan will focus on areas including grain production, storage of agricultural products, cold chain logistics and […]

There are now 84 million people living in Germany, according to the German Federal Statistical Office. This has nothing to do with the birth rate, which is on the decline. Instead, the number of Ukrainians seeking refuge in Germany caused the population to grow by 750,000 this year. The population in Germany grew by 0.1% […]

  QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; Nobody knows history better than you. Will QE continue if we end up in war? It seems there would be no choice. Thank you for your very enlightening blog. PG ANSWER: Yes. The Fed was “directed” by the White House to carry out QE during World War II. They were to […]