Baltic Dry Index. 847 -01 Brent Crude 45.92
Dodgy Dave Cameron: "Juncker, I
haven't tasted food for 3 days."
Juncker: "Well, I wouldn't worry about
it... it still tastes the same."
How the
EU helps out. With apologies to Curly, Moe, and Larry
It is the longest day
in the northern hemisphere, although the few days around the summer solstice
are just about as long, off by only a few seconds to a couple of minutes. A time
of a great heatwave here in Britain and Ireland, if only those poor shivering
EUSSR Kommissars in Brussels knew. Still there was some really good news
yesterday from Australia. Australia has
cancelled this year’s El Nino weather event, allowing for a normal weather year,
all around our planet. Those canny Ozzies know a thing or two about fixing
things, and we’re not just talking cricket.
Below, how the
Australians fixed this year’s El Nino. Now depending on Siberian snow cover in
October, us northern hemispherians can prepare for colder than normal winter.
Global warming anyone?
El Nino Watch Canceled by Australia as Pacific Ocean Cools
by Phoebe Sedgman
20 June 2017, 06:55 GMT+1
The chances of El Nino making a comeback this year are getting close to
nada.All eight climate models surveyed by Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology suggest tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures are likely to remain neutral for the second half, it said on its website on Tuesday. That reverses a June 6 report that showed four models predicting temperatures may exceed El Nino thresholds during the second half of 2017.
The bureau reset its outlook to inactive as the chances of El Nino forming this year fade. The U.S. earlier this month said the odds of it emerging between October and December were 36 percent from 46 percent previously predicted. Forecasts during the southern hemisphere’s autumn tend to have lower accuracy and begin to improve from June. El Nino and its La Nina counterpart can roil agriculture markets as farmers worldwide contend with too much or too little rain.
The bureau canceled its El Nino watch “after an easing of climate model outlooks, and a reversal of the early autumn warming in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean,” it said. “While models have steadily eased back the likelihood of El Nino, most still indicate an increased chance of warmer and drier than average conditions for Australia over winter.”
The previous El Nino ended in May 2016 and was the strongest since the record event of 1997-98. It reduced rainfall in the Indian monsoon and curbed production of cocoa in Ivory Coast, rice in Thailand and coffee in Indonesia.
Far eastern Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures, which were above normal near the Peruvian coast in March and April, cooled during May and June, according to the weather bureau. This warmth had the potential to spread and develop into an El Nino, but eased as trade winds failed to reinforce the ocean warmth, it said. Other indicators remain neutral.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-20/el-nino-watch-canceled-by-australia-as-pacific-ocean-cools
In yet another sign of a new American War Party war brewing
in the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia has dumped it’s Crown Prince for a hard
liner. Game on for 2018? “Trump of Arabia,” perhaps? Still it might be time to
add a little fully paid up physical gold and silver.
Saudi Arabia replaces crown prince in major shakeup
Published: June 21, 2017 12:07 a.m. ET
In
a major shakeup within the Saudi royal family that upends the kingdom's line of
succession, Saudi Arabia's King Salman removed Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef
from his position Wednesday and replaced him with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman, the king's son. Bin Salman, 31, is the country's defense minister and
has led an effort to expand and diversify the kingdom's economy from one
reliant on oil. Bin Salman met
with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this year, and
is said to be a hard-liner against Iran.
In American real news, the Hillbilly/Hollywood/Soros seditionists
lost. The new Clintonista-Obama-ite-Soros-snowflake-Mueller civil war staggers on,
but only in circles. Trumpmania rules yet again, with or without Moscow’s help. Team
Trump has now gone four for four. Soros zero for four.
Republican Karen Handel wins hotly contested Georgia House race
Published: June 20, 2017 11:11 p.m. ET
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Republicans held on to a hotly contested U.S. House
seat in Georgia on Tuesday, beating back an aggressive challenge that showed
the Democrats’ inability to turn opposition to Donald Trump’s presidency into
electoral gains.
Republican Karen Handel, a former Georgia secretary of state, beat
Democrat Jon Ossoff, a onetime congressional aide, in the most expensive House
race in history and the most significant test of the two parties’ political
strength since Trump’s election. The Associated Press called Handel the winner.
In winning the seat, Republicans overcame a Democratic advantage in
campaign spending and showed that Trump retained political capital in the
district. The president, Vice President Mike Pence and other party luminaries
visited the Atlanta suburbs to bolster Handel’s candidacy.
The result was a big blow to Democrats, who were hungry for a victory to
demonstrate that grass roots, anti-Trump energy gives them a shot at taking
control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections. Democrats earlier this year
lost two other contested House special elections, in Kansas and Montana.
GOP’s Ralph Norman wins South Carolina House race
Published: June 20, 2017 10:35 p.m. ET
Conservative easily wins Mitch Mulvaney’s former seat
Republican Ralph Norman won a special election in a U.S. House district in South Carolina, holding a safe Republican seat vacated earlier this year by Mick Mulvaney, who left to lead the Office of Management and BudgetThe Associated Press declared Norman, a former state legislator, the victor over Democrat Archie Parnell. Norman will head to Congress on his third attempt, having lost a general election in 2006 and a primary to Mulvaney in 2010.
Norman campaigned with the support of the GOP’s most conservative wing. He appeared during the primary campaign with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and was backed by the Club for Growth, a small-government advocacy group. Norman praised President Donald Trump and said residents of the 11-county district support the president and his agenda.
Parnell, a former Goldman Sachs GS, -0.46% executive, had sought to drive up turnout in the district’s African-American communities. But the district, which Mulvaney won with 59% of the vote in November, proved to be far too Republican to be winnable for the Democrat.
In EUSSR news, the seditionist,
anti-Brexit Bilderberger-Soros-Project Fear campaign doubles down. France goes
off reservation and courts Russia. Germany lobs a steel hand grenade at
President Trump.
We hold these
truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness outside of the EUSSR.”
With grateful
thanks to the writers of the US Declaration of Independence.
Soros says Britain nearing tipping point, may reverse Brexit
George Soros, the billionaire who earned fame by betting against the
pound in 1992, said Britain was approaching a tipping point that would see the
economy slow to such an extent that Brexit might even be reversed.
Soros used Quantum Fund in 1992 to bet successfully that sterling was
over-valued against the Deutsche Mark, forcing then-Prime Minister John Major
to pull the pound out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM).
Soros, who was born in Hungary but made his way to London as Communists
consolidated power in Budapest, said economic reality was starting to catch up
with a United Kingdom that voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the European Union
in a June 23 referendum.
"The moment of truth is fast approaching," Soros said in an
article emailed to reporters.
"The fact is that Brexit is a lose-lose proposition, harmful both
to Britain and the European Union. It cannot be undone, but people can change
their minds."
Britain's $2.5 trillion (1.97 trillion pounds) economy has shown
resilience since last year's referendum although sterling fell 25 cents against
the dollar in the hours immediately after the shock vote.
More
Eyeing Syria conflict, France courts Russia after previous tough ties
France's Foreign Minister pushed for closer co-operation with Russia on
Tuesday, especially over Syria, and said relations could be driven by a renewed
"spirit of trust".
Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under
former President Francois Hollande especially over Russia's support of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad and its role in bombing rebels in Aleppo. France also
took a tough line on European Union sanctions on Russia, first imposed when it
annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
"We are facing the same threat of terrorism which we are determined
to battle," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at a news
conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
"We are neither looking to isolate Russia from the rest of Europe
nor weaken it economically. We want to work together in a pragmatic and
concrete way to resolve the problems that impact us as much as Russia,"
said Le Drian, who was defence minister under Hollande for five years.
New President Emmanuel Macron has said that dialogue with Russia is
vital in tackling a number of international disputes, In May, he welcomed
Russian leader Vladimir Putin with great pomp to the royal palace of
Versailles.
Dangling economic potential between the two, Le Drian emphasised that
France remained one of the leading direct investors in Russia, that its firms
had not abandoned the country despite EU sanctions and that there were
extremely strong cultural and tourism ties.
More
Germany to focus on free, fair trade at G20 summit: Merkel
Germany wants to make progress in its presidency of the Group of 20
leading economies on improving free and fair trade and will try to get broad
agreement on open markets at next month's leaders' summit, Chancellor Angela
Merkel said on Tuesday.
She cautioned, however, that this might not be easy with U.S. President
Donald Trump who has made waves with his protectionist rhetoric.
"Open markets and free, fair sustainable and inclusive trade is a
key focus of our G20 presidency," said Merkel, who will host the G20 in
Hamburg next month.
She added that such conditions were beneficial for everyone and
globalization was not just fate but rather a process that could be shaped on
the basis of Germany's belief in the social market economy.
"We'll do all we can to get as broad an agreement on this as
possible in Hamburg. Given the new American administration that's not easy but
nonetheless we need to make the effort," Merkel told an event hosted by
the BDI industry association.
She added that G20 leaders would also discuss the steel industry, saying
that progress needed to be made on the issues of overcapacity and fair
competition in the sector.
"There's not just trade - it must be based on rules and needs to be
fair," she said.
The findings of an investigation by Trump's administration into whether
foreign-made steel imports pose a risk to U.S. national security are expected
to be released later this week.
More
The difference
between a misfortune and a calamity is this: If Soros fell into the Thames, it
would be a misfortune. But if someone dragged him out again, that would be a
calamity.
With apologies to Benjamin Disraeli
Crooks and Scoundrels Corner
The bent, the seriously bent, and the totally doubled over.
Today, some follow up to last month’s attack in Washington, by Turkish
President Erdogan’s thugs, on legally protesting US demonstrators against his
visit. Turkey under Erdogan, is now at odds with the EU, especially Germany. At
odds with America’s Kurdish proxies in Syria and Iraq. At odds with the Saudis and
UAE over Qatar. And now at odds with America over Sultan Erdogan’s head
thumping, and head kicking, caught on camera, goons. I wonder if Russia has
truly forgiven Erdogan for shooting down and killing a Russian pilot. Turkey
did eventually pay compensation. Which nation’s next for Erdogan to pick a
fight with? Your guess/suggestion [here.]
US issues warrants for 12 Erdogan aides over embassy brawl
June 16, 2017
Washington // US authorities have issued arrest warrants for 12 members
of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail accused of
assaulting protesters during a street brawl in the US capital.
Washington police chief Peter Newsham said the 12 were identified in
video footage of the May 16 attack on Kurdish and Armenian protesters outside
the residence of Turkey’s ambassador, following a meeting between Mr Erdogan
and US president Donald Trump.
The men, all Turkish citizens, include nine Erdogan security guards and
three Turkish police.
"In the United States and particularly in the District of Columbia,
we hold our ability to peacefully protest as a sacred right," Mr Newsham
said.
"We do not care particularly what your views are, what you support
or what you do not support."
Video footage of the fracas shows Turkish security aides beating and
kicking demonstrators, leaving nine people injured.
The state department lodged a protest about the attack with Ankara,
registering its concern in the "strongest possible terms".
Mr Newsham did not say how the police hoped to arrest the 12, saying the
state department would determine how to execute the warrants.
In addition to the 12, arrest warrants were issued for two Canadian
citizens who took part in the brawl. Two Turkish Americans were arrested at the
scene on May 16, and two more were arrested on Wednesday.
More
16 June 2017
Turkey summons US envoy over bodyguards arrest warrants
Turkey condemned the US move to seek arrest of Turkish security agents accused of taking part in Washington brawl.
Turkey's foreign ministry has called in the US ambassador to Ankara,
John Bass, for talks after US authorities issued arrest warrants for a dozen
official Turkish security guards involved in a brawl with protesters in
Washington last month.
"It has been conveyed to the ambassador that this decision taken by
US authorities is wrong, biased and lacks legal basis," the ministry said
in a statement on Thursday, blaming local authorities for failing to take
proper security measures with regards to the "so-called protesters".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the decision on
Thursday.
Speaking at a dinner to break the Ramadan fast in Ankara, Erdogan asked:
"What kind of a law is this?"
Referring to his security detail, he said, "If they are not going
to protect me, why would I bring them with me to America?"
Erdogan said the protesters were members of an outlawed armed Kurdish
group and the US police failed to act.
He vowed to fight the decision on legal and political grounds.
More
Technology Update.
With events happening
fast in the development of solar power and graphene, I’ve added this section.
Updates as they get reported. Is converting sunlight to usable cheap AC or DC
energy mankind’s future from the 21st century onwards? DC? A quantum
computer next?
Autonomous Airbus helicopter makes its first flights
Ben
Coxworth June 19, 2017
Although Airbus' passenger-carrying autonomous
drones may still be years away from reality, that hasn't stopped the
aerospace company from getting an autonomous helicopter off the ground. A
demonstrator version of the VSR700 Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) has
recently made its first self-piloted test flights, with the first flight of the
fully decked-out prototype set to take place next year.In the flights that have taken place so far, the helicopter has successfully taken off/landed, hovered, and performed stabilized flight and maneuvers. A human "safety pilot" was in the cockpit in case the multi-channel automatic flight control system malfunctioned.
The VSR700 is being developed in a collaboration between Airbus Helicopters and Helicopteres Guimbal. The latter is the manufacturer of the existing Cabri G2 helicopter, which serves as the base from which the VSR700 is derived.
Capable of carrying a payload of up to 250 kg (551 lb) and able to stay airborne for at least 10 hours depending on the application, it is intended primarily for use by navies as a shipborne tactical unmanned aerial vehicle. That said, thanks to its various optical sensors and maritime/land radar, it could also find use in land-based military operations to carry out ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) missions.
Source: Airbus
Nanophotonics-enabled solar membrane distillation for off-grid water purification
Significance
Current desalination technologies provide solutions to the increasing water demands of the planet but require substantial electric energy, limiting their sustainable use where conventional power infrastructure may be unavailable. Here, we report a direct solar method for desalination that utilizes nanoparticle-assisted solar vaporization in a membrane distillation geometry. This scalable process is capable of providing sufficient clean water for family use in a compact footprint, potentially for off-grid desalination at remote locations.Abstract
With more than a billion people lacking accessible drinking water, there is a critical need to convert nonpotable sources such as seawater to water suitable for human use. However, energy requirements of desalination plants account for half their operating costs, so alternative, lower energy approaches are equally critical. Membrane distillation (MD) has shown potential due to its low operating temperature and pressure requirements, but the requirement of heating the input water makes it energy intensive. Here, we demonstrate nanophotonics-enabled solar membrane distillation (NESMD), where highly localized photothermal heating induced by solar illumination alone drives the distillation process, entirely eliminating the requirement of heating the input water. Unlike MD, NESMD can be scaled to larger systems and shows increased efficiencies with decreased input flow velocities. Along with its increased efficiency at higher ambient temperatures, these properties all point to NESMD as a promising solution for household- or community-scale desalination.The monthly Coppock Indicators finished May
DJIA: 21,009 +157 Up. NASDAQ: 6,199 +219 Up. SP500: 2,412 +161 Up.
Thomas Cook arm subscribe 49% stake in JV company
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