A deep recession, a severe drought and a plunging currency have led to the biggest bailout in IMF history. The government hopes it can avoid the meltdowns that followed past crises.
The trade deficit, and how much a country exports or imports, is only part of the story.
AP Photo/Reed Saxon
Americans seem to believe trade deficits are a bad thing, partly because of arguments suggesting they mean the US is ‘losing.’ An economist explains why that’s rubbish.
Cryptocurrencies even have their own investment companies.
Reuters/Simon Walker
Bryan Keogh, The Conversation; Jeff Inglis, The Conversation e Nicole Zelniker, The Conversation
Bitcoin and other digital currencies have been running wild in recent years, soaring and then plunging in value. A few stories from The Conversation’s archive offer a glimpse into their world.
Internal strikes throughout the country might harm the economy at least as much as the announced sanctions (Tehran, 2017).
Stella Morgana
As Iran struggles under another round of international sanctions, a widening social gap is putting President Hassan Rouhani’s government under pressure.
South Africans debating the zero rating of certain products for VAT purposes must realise it isn’t a panacea for poor people and should be accompanied by other policies.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg unveils the national accounts on Wednesday.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Indonesia under President Joko Widodo seems to be on the right track in reducing inequality.
Indonesia has decided that state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina will take over the Rokan block, in Riau, from Chevron when the US energy firm’s operating contract expires in 2021.
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The recent Rokan block deal signals a shift to a more nationalist agenda, but Indonesia’s government is still pursuing other more outward-looking economic policies.
Dutton can mobilise his conservative base on race and crime, but what about the broader electorate?
Lukas Coch/AAP
Venezuela recently devalued its bolivar by 95 percent to tame rabid hyperinflation that has been sending prices on everyday goods through the roof. If history is a guide, it won’t work.
Times Square is the Mecca of advertising.
Reuters/Chip East
Global travelers are being increasingly asked if they want to pay for local purchases in terms of their home country currency. Here’s why you should resist the strong temptation to do so.
Kenya’s debt levels are rising at an alarming rate.
Hyejin Kang/Shutterstock
The Trump administration’s promise of $12 billion in aid to offset losses from retaliatory tariffs will not make up for the long-term consequences of a prolonged trade war.
People from the DRC flee the fighting. Movement of people is restricted across the continent.
EPA/DAI KUROKAWA
While the hurricanes last year dealt devastating blows to Puerto Rico, its challenges predate the storms and continue on today. They also offer new opportunities.