Free Republic

The Iranian rial has effectively collapsed, plummeting to an unprecedented low of more than 1.47 million per US dollar on unofficial markets this week. The currency crash has triggered a wave of nationwide 'revolutionary' protests, as the cost of basic survival spirals out of reach for millions of Iranians. On Monday, 12 January 2026, the dollar was quoted as high as 1.47 million rials in the 'free market' of Tehran, marking a catastrophic decline from 2025 levels. For comparison, the rial traded at roughly 70 to the dollar during the 1979 revolution; it has now lost approximately 20,000 times its...

The Russian economy has officially entered stagnation mode, reports Foreign Intelligence Service. The Kremlin can no longer hide the systemic crisis behind optimistic statements. The figures show a collapse in the aggressor country's economic performance. After 4.5% GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, a sharp slowdown began: the indicator fell to 1.4% in the first quarter of 2025, then to 1.1% in the second quarter, and in the third quarter it was only 0.6%.

A deepening strategic partnership between China and Venezuela — marked by over 600 cooperation projects across energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and technology — signals a broader realignment in Latin America’s geopolitical landscape. Moving away from the era of large-scale loans, Beijing now favours targeted investments that strengthen its foothold without incurring the risks of financial overexposure. This shift positions Venezuela, under President Nicolas Maduro, as a key ally in China’s regional strategy, challenging longstanding US influence in the Caribbean. Venezuela is no stranger to friendly ties with China, but things are now reaching new levels. Other deals include joint ventures to...

It’s been obvious for years that China has a Potemkin economy, kept alive by slave labor, market bubbles, and government underwriting. it can’t last forever. The latest grim forecast about the economy comes from Peter St Onge, an economist with a much deeper fund of knowledge about and understanding of the Chinese economy than I could have in a thousand lifetimes.The biggest hint that the Chinese economy was in trouble was the demise of Evergrande, a massive property developer in China. The bankruptcy was huge, with the company’s assets valued at a probably inflated $245 billion and debts of $300...