United States

From the first moment chemical weapons were used on the Syrian battlefield, the American public was led to believe that only one side could possibly be responsible. The constant refrain in the echo chamber of US government officials and the mainstream media was that only the Assad government possessed chemical stockpiles and the technological capability of deploying such heinous weapons, therefore blame for each and every chemical attack from Ghouta to Khan Sheikhoun was laid at the feet of Assad and the Syrian military.

Yen is weaker and Japanese equity futures notably higher following a landslide election victory for Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe which theoretically ushers in yet more easy monetary policy.

USDJPY tried to run stos at 114.00 but failed (for now). However, NKY futures are up almost 1% in the pre-market...

As we’ve reported in the past, skyrocketing wages in mainland China have caused the adoption of robot workers by the country’s manufacturers to accelerate rapidly in recent years, cementing the country’s position as a world leader in industrial automation.

In early trading, the Turkish Lira is slumping (having tagged pre-US-Visa highs) as President Tayyip Erdogan showed no retreat from a diplomatic row with the United States, castigating Washington for what he called an "undemocratic" indictment against his security detail.

As Reuters reports, his comments may further dash hopes of a quick resolution to an on-going diplomatic crisis between the NATO allies. Both Ankara and Washington have cut back issuing visas to each other's citizens as ties have worsened.

Two days after former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon warned that California may attempt to secede from the US over the next decade if Republicans failed to reassume control of the state, the state’s attorney general played down speculation that the state would make a credible attempt at leaving the US in the coming years.