Euroland's debt strategy is an economic and moral disgrace

The International Monetary Fund has demolished the intellectual foundations of Europe's debt crisis strategy.

US rebound signals IMF gloom may be overdone

The US economy appears to have turned the corner at last after flirting with danger earlier this summer, according to a rash of new data.

IMF fears 'credit shock' in Spain if Rajoy blocks rescue

The International Monetary Fund has issued a veiled warning that Spanish bond spreads could surge to a record 7.5pc and push the country into a deeper crisis if premier Mariano Rajoy continues to drag his feet on a bail-out request.

Angela Merkel recoils from Greek showdown on Spain contagion fears

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has stamped her seal of approval on Greece's austerity plan and vowed to stand by the country as "partner and friend", signalling almost certain approval for the next tranche of EU-IMF Troika aid.

Spain fears harsh rescue terms from AAA Nordic parliaments

Senior officials from Germany and other parts of the eurozone's AAA core have warned Spain privately that angry parliaments are likely to impose stringent conditions on any further rescue loans.

Damming dollar flood comes at a huge cost to Argentine economy

Cristina Kirchner's tightening of the rules on currency exchange has backfired horribly, says Buenos Aires resident William McAllister

How QE3 Shakes Up Gold: Q&A With Nick Barisheff

Nick Barisheff is President and CEO of Bullion Management Group Inc., a bullion investment company that provides investors with a secure, cost-effective and transparent way to purchase and store physical bullion. Recognized worldwide as a bullion expert, Barisheff is an author, speaker and financial commentator on bullion and current market trends. The BMG BullionBars program provides a secure, cost-effective and transparent way to purchase and hold individual Good Delivery gold, silver and platinum bullion bars

Is the world running short of gold?

In his essays On The Principles Of Population, the English scholar Thomas Malthus argued that the earth's resources are limited and cannot support unlimited population growth. "The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man", he said. In many ways ‘peak oil’ theory is an extension of this notion. There is a finite amount of oil in the world, runs the theory (one estimate puts that number at 75 trillion barrels). At a certain stage, the point of maximum production will be reached. Thereafter production levels will decline. The US reached its peak in 1970; the rest of world, it seems, in May 2005 at 74 million barrels per day - though this is subject to a lot of debate. But what about 'peak gold'? Does the Malthusian argument extend to gold?

Japan launches QE8 as 20-year slump drags on

Japan has launched an eighth round of quantitative easing to weaken the yen and cushion a slide back into recession.

Beijing hints at bond attack on Japan

A senior advisor to the Chinese government has called for an attack on the Japanese bond market to precipitate a funding crisis and bring the country to its knees, unless Tokyo reverses its decision to nationalise the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea.

Back Ben Bernanke's QE3 with a clothes peg on your nose

Monetarists from across the world can mostly agree on one thing. The US Federal Reserve caused the Great Recession.

Bernanke attacked for 'too low’ interest rates

The US Federal Reserve and central banks worldwide kept interest rates far too low in the build-up to the global credit bubble and may have caused much of the crisis, the world’s top watchdog has concluded.

The next big eurozone panic could be over France

There’s something missing from the eurozone crisis. By now, we’re all getting very used to hearing about Greece, Italy and Spain’s problems. We also hear plenty about how irritated the German establishment is with its feckless neighbours. But France – the second-biggest power in the eurozone - has been keeping a surprisingly low profile. Since the presidential election in the late spring it has fallen from the headlines. Those who expected new President François Hollande to pick a fight over austerity measures have been disappointed. Indeed, some have described his budget – which was announced on Friday – as the “toughest in decades”.

Another domino falls as Hollande pushes France into depression

If French President François Hollande thinks he can assuage the bond markets by dishing out tax-heavy austerity instead of genuine reform, he has been given very bad advice.

Germany told to 'come clean’ over Greece

German Chancellor Angela Merkel must “come clean at long last” and admit that Greece will need help for another seven or eight years, the German opposition leader said over the weekend.

Spain's crisis flares again as AAA club scuppers bank rescue deal

Spain's debt crisis has returned with a vengeance after Germany, Holland and Finland reneged on a crucial summit deal and scuppered hopes of direct eurozone help for Spanish banks.

Swiss central bank fuels Europe's North-South debt crisis

Switzerland’s central bank has become a conduit for vast flows of capital into German Bunds and other safe-haven bonds, exacerbating the eurozone’s North-South divide.

Bundesbank castigates IMF for saving Europe

Germany's central bank has launched a blistering attack on the International Monetary Fund, accusing officials of spraying around money like confetti and overstepping their legal mandate.

Spain risks break-up as Mariano Rajoy stirs Catalan fury

The ruling parties of Catalonia have sought guidance from Brussels on the legality of secession from Spain, requesting a “route map” for membership of the European Union and the euro as an independent state.

Spain shuns further cuts as unrest grows

Spain is digging in its heels against further austerity as protests sweep the country and mounting tensions with Catalan nationalists threaten to split the country.