Africa

Autohred by Jim Rickards via The Daily Reckoning,

China is not only one of the world’s largest debtors, it is one of the world’s largest creditors.

China uses debt not in the customary financial manner, but as a political tool to generate employment and maintain social stability. Likewise China uses loans and investment as a tool to advance its strategic interests. This may be good geopolitics in the short run, but it will be a disaster economically in the long run.

Today's stunning expulsion of Qatar from the Saudi "circle of friends" prompted some analysts to ask if in Qatar's immediate futures is a departure from OPEC.

Nigerian Banks!

"No Brainer" US bank stocks languish unchanged in 2017 and even the unstoppable FANG stocks are lagging badly behind Nigerian banks.

It appears all those emails from Nigerian princes are paying off?

Or, as Bloomberg notes, since the Nigerian central bank eased a dollar shortage by opening a currency-trading window for foreign investors in April, lenders in Africa’s biggest economy have soared.

Authored by Soeren Kern via The Gatestone Institute,

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

US Defense Secretary James Mattis announced plans on Sunday to ‘Take Apart’ Islamic State Caliphate. Civilian casualties do not matter one bit.

The fight against Islamic State has shifted to “annihilation tactics” to stop potential terrorists who’ve flocked to places such as Iraq and Syria from returning to their home countries to wreak havoc, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday.