John Faraclas
The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) lost two points – an expected scenario so to speak – see our yesterday’s hint, and all things being equal expect the unexpected… Geopolitics with the fall of oil and other hiccups become interesting whilst the WISTA International AGM and Conference begins in Tromsø, Norway. John Faraclas and Anny Zade report:
The Capes’ BCI continued to rise and now stands at 2,363 points – up 67!
The Panamaxes fell 41 points with the BDI now reading 1,715… CAUTION!
The Handies continue to fall and the BSI now reads 1,156 – minus seven…
Two points plus for the Handies’ BHSI now make the difference! At 673 still make waves…
The Wets once again with mixed feelings; the last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 1,051 – that’s plus 27 points and 582 – minus five respectively… Speculators can make their assumptions…
The WTI fell at US$ 66.40!!! Now let’s see this issue closer tomorrow as things can turn sour for the few and “jolly good” for the masses. There must be something interesting due…
The Geopolitics are not just enigmatic but more than dangerous:
The MIGRANTS issue gets worse and the figures are higher as the month approaches its end. The number are three-fold higher in Europe from all “destinations” – be it North Africa’s Melilla or from the entire Turkish borders – on sea and land to Greece and conversely to Europe. Wonder who is gone to give the appropriate response to end this saga… At the other side of the Atlantic president Trump is explicit with his tweet on the matter: “Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them.”
The entire zone from Gibraltar to Afghanistan and from the Caucuses to the Horn of Africa with the epicentre being the Middle East is on fire. The Balkans too are ready for a multitude of reasons to explode – we have stressed in the past as well as very recently the reasons and issues…
Turkey continues to bully its neighbours as well as not respecting international law. Greece and Cyprus for example are member-states of the EU a club which Turkey has aspirations to join. Fat chance with this despicable behaviour… Things might get sour and make the Middle East inferno look like a kindergarten if there is a “collusion” with Greece and a messy outcome in Eastern Med with the oil and gas exploration. Let’s see how the USA and Russia react on this issue…
Greece has the right to expand its territorial waters up to 12 miles… Internally Greece has a lot to do for the benefit of its citizens who continue to suffer just over ten years now. Shame from both sides with the unacceptable behaviour of Brussels, the mistakes of the IMF and Greece’s politicians inability to save their nation, not just its pride, but beyond that and the ridiculously appear to side with the lenders headed by Ms. Merkel’s Germans… SHAME! A bit of a mess with Greece’s foreign policy…
Italy will have to play it cool as the European Commission wants to revise its budget, an unprecedented move… Italians know best how to deal with this “demand” and “situations” so to speak… Watch this space!
BREXIT continues with more twists and turns; the drugs and other vital supplies might switch to Dutch o Belgian ports if there is a “melee” in the Channel… Mrs. May believes that the 95 centum of the deal is there with the stumbling block being the Irish border. Let’s hope she manages and concludes the deal for the benefit of both sides across the Channel…
The Khashoggi affair according to president Trump is the worst ever murder cover up!
Watch an eye in Brazil’s presidential election…
Caution with the weather in Mexico…
And what a bridge is this; China’s president Xi Jinping opened Planet Ocean’s longest sea crossing a bridge of 34 miles nine years after its construction begun! The bridge connects Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai and its total cost is said to be USDollars 20 billion! Well done.
That’s all for tonight on Geopolitics…
Lucky to get this shot during the ExCo meeting lunch break; Tone Kristiansen, Bjørg Ekornrud, Laila Hansen with John Faraclas
On another tone and note WISTA International 2018 AGM and Conference event in Tromsø, above the Arctic Circle in Norway begun to roll today under the best weather conditions !
The morning was dedicated with the ExCo meeting from nine until five in the afternoon at the Scandic Ishavshotel situated on the quayside in the heart of downtown Tromsø with beautiful views over the port area, the city and its surrounding scenery.
L to r: Anny Zade at the registration desk with volunteers from the faculty of Fisheries at Tromsø University, Rachel M. Balstad and Ingvill Tuhus Lunde
Many delegates, speakers and guests from all over Planet Ocean begun to arrive in a very warm and jovial atmosphere and it was good we were there and witness exceptional moments whilst registration had begun at around 14:00 hours.
Present at all times was WISTA Norway’s president Bjørg Ekornrud and her team greeting also the incoming WISTA members, delegates, speakers and other guests!
In the evening at the upper mezzanine floor the Presidents’ Dinner took place from seven o’clock until late… We got a quick glimpse…
We met with old friends from the many delegations/ WISTAs whom we know for decades as well as with friends from the past… The entire City lives the WISTA vibes and breaking the ice is the name of the game – after all the theme fully coincides: “Breaking the Ice – developing dialogues for sustainable business in the Arctic”…
Second from the right, the WISTA-Norway president Bjørg Ekornrud and her guests…
Needless to say how lucky we are with the exceptional nice weather and all looking for the Northern Lights which hopefully we might witness tomorrow…
An early night dinner at the Fjellheisen summit restaurant with excellent soups and salmon burgers; well done by George Noussias the Rhodes Island cook there… Some of WISTA-USA delegation’s members were coincidentally there
WISTA-International’s president Despina Panagiotou Theodossiou table
What a small world eh!!!
Continue to be tuned on us and get geared for the next three more than interesting days to come…
Conference and entertainment! Its good to see just over 320 registrants!!! A very good record given the distance but Shipping and Women make the difference.
A good choice of place by WISTA-Norway who this year celebrates its 30th Anniversary!
WISTA-UK’s Teresa Peacock (standing in red) during the Presidents’ dinner
That’s all for tonight, continue to be on guard from actions emanating by Pirates, Terrorists and Criminals whatsoever wherever you are on Planet Ocean!
