Protests are continuing in Panama due to the cost of living crisis. The nation faces a very uncertain future in the short term.

In their efforts to end their dependence on Russian gas, EU countries didn't appear to realise that it would create a shortage of tankers for the transportation of LNG, driving up costs and reducing supply. Of course anyone with a functioning brain would have known this.

CIA director Burns:

There are a lot of rumours about the health of President Putin. But as far as we can tell, he is too healthy.

Reality versus MSM hyperbole strikes again.

South America's Mercosur trade bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay has declined a request by Zelensky to address its upcoming summit.

For some reason the Pentagon doesn't support the visit of Pelosi to Taiwan.

Cooler heads in the Beltway understand reality.

Interesting to know how many failed money managers turned to social media and reinvented themselves as #fintwit experts.

The Draghi drama continues. Now saying he will resign.

Rosatom has begun the construction of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt with four Russian VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors.

Westerners need to understand when watching Chinese video clips that Henan province is approximately 600km from Rizhou.

Be informed, not entertained.

New EU envoy to China backs Taiwan reunification.

Jorge Toledo Albiñana said the EU supports the 'peaceful reunification' of the two nations and that there should be one China.

Surreal how western Chinese experts can't grasp what it means when a SOE is debtor and state owned bank is creditor.

Also that internal Chinese market utilises RMB not USDs.

Also PBOC has been trying to incentivise Chinese businesses to hold $s to prevent RMB appreciation.

So ECB raised rates by 50bp

Telegraphed several days ago.

US Initial Jobless Claims July 16th: 251k versus estimate 240K

And

US Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook July: -12.3

Estimate 0.8
Previous -3.3

Putin spoke with MBS today:

Expansion of bilateral trade and economic ties to continue

Further coordination within the framework of OPEC+ https://t.co/QZQgQeszIE

Hungarian foreign minister has arrived in Russia.

This goes far beyond a courtesy call. That could be done over the phone.

Sanctions reality strikes again.

EU has blocked a proposal to impose sanctions against the Russian company VSMPO-Avisma who is the world's largest titanium producer.

A universal qudit quantum processor with trapped ions.

University of Innsbruck have developed a computer that stores information in trapped calcium atoms that can exist in eight different states. This is a total game changer in terms of computing.

https://t.co/iyjQ6rW7Tv

Sanctions reality versus hyperbole

Japan increased LNG imports from Russia by 26.4% in June yoy to 617k tonnes

Japan’s imports from Russia gained 22.9% and reached 153.9 bn yen in June. Japan's exports to Russia fell by 49.9% in June to 39.8 bn yen

There is another meeting occurring between Iran and Saudi Arabia in short order.

Reality is much of world now wants to work to achieve win-win cooperation and sometimes despite having obvious grievances with each other, which they are also seeking to address. Meanwhile US continues to wants them all in a state of perpetual conflict as a method of control.