Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 14, 2019

Andrew Walker, BBC: Are markets signalling that a recession is due?

Financial markets have flashed a warning sign about the economic outlook for the UK and the US.

It is known in the jargon as an "inverted yield curve".

It means that it is cheaper for those countries' governments to borrow for 10 years than for two.

It is an unusual development and it often comes before a recession or at least a significant slowdown in economic growth.

Wall Street shares plunged on Wednesday, as investors' concerns about a potential recession were stoked by the news.

The main US stock market indexes fell between 2.3% and 2.6%. Meanwhile in Europe London's FTSE 100 slipped 1.4%, Germany's Dax lost 2.2% and the French Cac 40 fell by 2.1%.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 14, 2019

AP Explains: Is the US economy nearing a recession? -- Christopher Rugaber, AP

Exclusive: China curbs gold imports as trade war heats up -- Peter Hobson and Yawen Chen, Reuters

West reluctant to criticize China over Hong Kong stance -- Rodion Ebbighausen, DW

China appears to be gearing up for a possible military intervention in Hong Kong, but experts say Beijing is likely bluffing -- Rosie Perper, Business Insider

Chinese military intervention in Hong Kong would be costly -- Mathias Bölinger, DW

Xi Wants to Rule the World, But He Has Problems at Home -- C. Burton, Globe and Mail

The U.S. or China? Europe Needs to Pick a Side -- A. Kendall-Taylor & R. Rizzo, Politico

Activists describe life under lockdown in Kashmir as ‘grim’ -- Sheikh Saaliq, AP

Worries on the horizon for Angela Merkel -- Ben Knight, DW

I’ve been talking to Brussels insiders and this is what they told me about a no-deal Brexit -- Andrew Grice, The Independent

Putin risks losing Moscow -- Leonid Ragozin, Al Jazeera

Russia Has Failed Another Nuclear Test -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg View

Argentina's Macri attempts to thwart economic plunge -- DW