United States

In April 2014, just as the Ukraine conflict (and proxy civil war) was hitting its climax, in the process undermining US-Russian relations for years, some 2,066 Americans were asked to show where the Ukraine was on a map. The result, while leaving something to be desired, was not terrible.

Fast forward to this weekend, when the NYT repeated the same exercise with the latest geopolitical hotspot: North Korea. In an experiment led by Kyle Dropp of Morning Consult, he asked 1,746 American adults to point to where North Korea is on the world map. This was the raw result:

With the French election in the rearview mirror, Europe's anti-establishment wave seemingly receding, and Merkel's crushing victory (and stunning defeat for the SPD) in this weekend's North Rhine-Westphalia election in Germany, some strategists have gone so far as to say there is virtually no political risk left in Europe (and certainly looking at a chart of Eurostoxx50 Vol or European credit spreads, this appears to be the case). To be sure, stocks have been ahead of the curve, with European YTD returns trouncing those in  the US, and some pundits saying there is much more upside to come.

"Whatever it takes."

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih and Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak

That's what Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak said in a statement overnight in Beijing they would do to reduce the global oil inventory overhang, using the immortal phrase coined by ECB's Mario Draghi five years ago in his successful bid to defend the euro. For OPEC, however, "whatever it takes" may not be enough.

Authored by Federico Pieraccini via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

With Moon Jae-In’s victory in South Korea, the period of tension on the Korean Peninsula is likely to end. With the rise to power of the new president, South Korea can expect a sharp decline in hostilities with North Korea as well as a resumption of dialogue with China.

Authored by Joey Clark via TheAntiMedia.org,

I can forgive a man who loses his temper, but to lose one’s temperance lock, stock, and barrel? That is a damnable offense. Without a sense of moderation, even the most courageous and prudent man will fail in his quest for justice and may even become that which he wishes to destroy.