- Quote of the day (and quite possibly of the year) comes from the report into the pervasive corruption in the US govt's handling of its oil royalties. The U$10Bn per annum of oil money that slushes through the hands of gov't officials quite literally in bed with big oil companies makes the Antonini suitcase affair look like small change, but let's get straight to the moneyline (as reported here in the NYT):
“sexual relationships with prohibited sources cannot, by definition, be arms-length.”
- Venezuela has reacted to the US dept of Homeland Security's edict on its "unsafe" airports in the best way it knows; hit the imperialists in the pocket. Reuters reports that Venezuela will restrict flights by US airlines into and out of Caracas.
- Spot copper held the $3.10 line again today, and now sits at $3.16. You gotta like copper from here, Otto's honour. FCX reversed and rebounded and got healthy on the copper move.....Go Team!
- The USD once again tried and failed to rally further. Time for a leg down here, more Otto's honour.
- This week's "No Shit Sherlock" award goes to Tom Shannon, the US Assistant Secretary and general gov't fireman down here who says that kicking Philip Goldberg out of Bolivia will cause "serious damage to relations".