The freezing of Venezuelan gold by the Bank of England is a signal to all countries out of step with US interests to withdraw their money, according to economist and co-founder of Democracy at Work, Professor Richard Wolff. [...]

The ongoing government shutdown in the United States could soon start to negatively impact the country’s debt ceiling, ratings agency Fitch said. The US runs a record deficit and pushes overall borrowing past $22 trillion. A shutdown of about a quarter of the US government entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with lawmakers and the White House divided over President Donald Trump’s demand fo [...]

The Central Bank of Russia reported purchasing 8.5 million troy ounces of gold in January-November 2018. With its 67.6 million ounces of gold Russia is now the world's fifth largest holder behind the US, Germany, France and Italy. [...]

The European Union is considering switching payments from the US dollar to the euro after Washington threatened to target European firms working in Iran. But the EU is not the first to ditch the greenback, as the experts tell RT. [...]

New Delhi and Abu Dhabi have inked a currency swap agreement to boost trade and investment without involvement of a third currency like the US dollar. The swap is for an amount of two billion UAE dirham or 35 billion Indian rupees (US$495 million), according to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. [...]

While it has long been clear that countries under US sanctions are more than motivated to turn their backs to the iconic greenbacks, the central bank’s interim review has shed some light on which economic zone Russia is intent to place its stake instead. [...]

The Central Bank of Russia has moved further away from reliance on the US dollar and has axed its share in the country’s foreign reserves to a historic low, transferring about $100 billion into euro, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan. [...]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 660 points as Apple stock dropped nearly 10 percent – the biggest single day decline for the company since 2013 – just one day after it slashed its revenue forecast. [...]

Gold has reached a more than six-month peak rising above $1,300 as investors rushed to seek refuge in the metals after iPhone maker downgraded its revenue forecast and amid fears of a global economic slowdown. The precious metal futures climbed in a second straight session on Thursday after US stocks saw the worst start of the year in more than a decade. [...]

Wealth inequality is becoming one of the fastest growing problems facing the US. As the nation gets richer, who benefits? Richard Wolff helps break down all the different facets as he and Bart dissect why people are finding it harder and harder to afford the basic needs of life. Wealth inequality can also extend to nations; Hilary Fordwich breaks down the situation as certain countries grow while [...]

Stocks in emerging markets have had a rough year but are tipped for a turnaround, according to Morgan Stanley, which predicts stable growth in those economies in 2019. [...]

The past year was full of events that inevitably split the global geopolitical space into two camps: those who still support using US currency as a universal financial tool, and those who are turning their back on the greenback. Global tensions caused by economic sanctions and trade conflicts triggered by Washington have forced targeted countries to take a fresh look at alternative payment systems [...]

BEIJING (Sputnik) – Liberalization of the Chinese banking legislation provides Russian banks with an opportunity to receive full-fledged licenses for their work in China, Russia's Trade Representative in the Asian country, Sergey Iniushin, told Sputnik. [...]

The common European currency, which was created on 1 January 1999 and became a physical currency three years later, will soon mark its 20-year anniversary, having survived major crises over the last decade. Sputnik has recalled how the euro started its path, what challenges it has faced and what prospects it has. [...]

The Bank of Russia has revoked licenses of five out on nine foreign exchange dealers operating in the country – Alpari Forex, Forex Club, Fix Trade, Trustforex, and Teletrade Group. The decision comes into force on January 27. [...]

The year-on-year surge in US sovereign debt has totaled $1.37 trillion, the latest data released by the US Treasury Department shows. The national debt reportedly rose to $21,863,635,176,724.12 as of December 20 of the current year compared to $20,492,874,492,282.58 on December 25, 2017. [...]

A $2.4 million daydreaming study and a very scientific examination of the sex habits of coked-up quails topped Senator Rand Paul’s annual list of maddening government waste, which this year clocked in at $114 million. [...]

It is obscene that governments are failing to make changes needed to avoid another global financial crash despite many economists warning that one is coming, writes Ken Livingstone. [...]

The US dollar makes up two-thirds of international debt and a similar share of global reserve holdings. RT's Keiser Report examines mainstream media reports asking whether it's time to shake up the basket of currencies. [...]

The European Commission has presented a set of measures to boost the euro as a global reserve currency to challenge the dollar in international transactions, including those in the energy sector. A number of states have taken the course of de-dollarisation in a bid to decrease dependence on the greenback and its clout on the energy sector, mainly in transactions with sanctions-stricken Iran. [...]

The Federal Reserve’s first ever “stability report” warned of a number of dangers to the entire US financial system that could exacerbate problems if the system as a whole sustains significant stress. The report, released Wednesday, illustrates a slew of vulnerabilities in the US financial system, including excessive asset valuations, historically high borrowing levels by US corporations and [...]

The continued fall of FAANG stocks – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – on Monday left the blue-chip basket of equities down almost $730 billion after a six-week sustained decline, stoking investor fears of the US technology sector entering a bear market. [...]