Mediators Say US-Iran 'Close' To 'Resurrecting' Failed MoU Deal, Pushing Oil Lower, Stocks Jump

US Southern Command said in a statement on Friday that its forces blew up another alleged drug-running boat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and killed two people as the bombing campaign against small civilian vessels continues. As usual, SOUTHCOM offered no evidence to back up its claims that the boat was carrying drugs, something the […]

France's Debt Spiral: Tax Hikes Mask A Looming Crisis Submitted by Thomas Kolbe On both sides of the Franco-German border, the same problem persists: overburdened and reform-averse politicians struggle against a rapidly accelerating debt spiral. Their preferred tool: higher levies. Last week, France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure reported a revision of the projected budget deficit for the current year. Initial estimates for 2026 had suggested a deficit well above five percent. Yet numerous fiscal measures brought last year’s deficit down to 5.1%. For 2026, the Finance Ministry expects it to stabilize at around...

US Budget Deficit Explodes: Worst October On Record On Historic Surge In Defense Spending; 28% Of All Taxes Go To Pay Interest September was not a terrible month for the US budget deficit; well it wasn't great either, but at just a deficit of $27 billion in the last month of fiscal 2026, at a time when the US traditionally burns through 9 cash digits every month, it was relatively forgettable. One can't say the same thing for October - the first month of fiscal 2027 - when all hell fiscal...