John Faraclas
The BDI improves further whilst the Wets fall continue amid geopolitical perplexed uncertainty
The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) gained 40 points thanks to the triple-digit Capes rise and now stands at 1,568 points; wonder what’s up with the falling Wets. Geopolitics will surprise many in all fronts. John Faraclas’ daily brief recap:
The Capes’ BCI was up 100 point and now reads 3,231! Let’s see for how long this euphoria lasts…
The Panamaxes’ BPI was up 57 points at 1,282…
The Supras’ BSI clinched three points and now stands at 819…
The Handies’ BHSI got stuck at 505!
All in all a rising dry market but again: one or two sizes’ rise or fall doesn’t constitute a market!
Falling Wets; the last published BDTI (Dirty) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 1,252 – minus 15 and 879 – minus 44 points respectively!
The WTI was slightly up since last Friday the 29th of November at US$ 55.96 – up .79 cents… CAUTION; we repeat our view that the WTI MUST fall below the US$ 50.00 mark!!
In the Geopolitical front the MIGRANTS continued to dominate the scene; it’s too much to bear for the small communities of the Greek Aegean Islands – now more than overcrowded and at the end of the day there isn’t any prospect by moving the MIGRANTS in the Greek mainland… Silly decisions; end of the story… The social cohesion is breaking and Brussels are not only incompetent they are afraid morons to take the one and only one appropriate decision: “A naval blockade with a Mandate and Rules of engagement”. How many times we have to remind them this solution? Why are they so afraid of Turkey? Wonder also what the NATO “summit” in the outskirts of London will produce. The mood is not the celebratory one could expect for the 70 years of this pact and wonder what’s next. For a start if we want to be serious we must see NATO expelling Turkey following its anti-NATO stance – buying Russian made defence systems, blackmailing everybody and invading Northern Syria under the proviso of terrorist Kurds, continues pestering Cyprus and Greece (a fellow NATO member – needless to say an EU member, were Turkey has aspirations of becoming there a member too..) and stirring up the Med (MoU with Libya) and Balkans – encouraging Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia to create trouble with their neighbours using also the tool of religion… So who’s and why afraid of Virginia Woolf …err of Turkey? We eagerly await the result of this NATO meeting…
The faulty line from Gib to Afghanistan and from the Caucuses to the Horn of Africa continues to give every single day quakes and tsunamis; CAUTION…
Mind the appetite of the Turks not only in the East, but also in the Central Med…
The European Union MUST get its act together…
The British elections; a perplexed enigma… BREXIT? Nobody is ready for this… CAUTION as we might see surprises in ten days time with the elections. And it’s not who wins outright or not, what will happen in a hang parliament, it’s the end result for the British and European public and to certain extend for Planet Ocean at large… Rumours say that we might see the UK and London in particular becoming Singapore of the West no matter what the EU says…
Scandals, sex orientated ones become headlines again… Expect surprises there too…
President Trump thinks of “punishing” Brazil and Argentina with Tariffs… Ah! Nothing yet with the USA vs. China Trade War… Meantime the US president has a lot to deal with his impeachment accusations and the forthcoming 2020 US elections!
President Putin seems “quiet” lately but we can assure you he works hard for his people! Another CAUTION as with NATO now, following its expansion, Natoic forces are just 1,000 miles off Moscow…
South America is on fire with too many issues in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela… CAUTION!
Iran is also in the eye of the cyclone…
North Korea will also bother us, as will Afghanistan India and Pakistan…
As for the African continent we’ve said it in our last major recap: end corruption here and now and halt the advancement of the major powers’ proxy war; did I hear you say China…
On another tone and note we add three social events:
Katerina Polemi and her band performing; picture by MND
The two day celebrations for the 25th Anniversary of London’s Hellenic Centre which ended on Saturday the 30th of November with the spectacular appearance of Katerina Polemi and her band. The Greek-Brazilian singer-songwriter whom we have numerous times attended in the past both in the UK and Greece was for the second time at the Hellenic Centre with her unique lively, melodic and joyous performance with music from all over Planet Ocean. From Brazil’s passionate rhythms to New Orleans’s jazzy swing and from Chicago’s soul blues to Greece’s Mediterranean melodies. Exceptional !
…and
Member of the BoD of WISTA Argentina with Rear Admiral Maria Ines Uriarte (fifth from the left); picture by DA
WISTA Argentina held the end-year party 2019 on board of the Fragata Sarmiento on 28 November (but we couldn’t upload it earlier due to time difference), antique museum, generously granted by the Argentinian Navy, accompanied by many WISTA friends of the Argentinian Coast Guard, shipping agencies, shipping companies, associations, port terminals, maritime lawyers, and many friends. Our sponsors APM Terminals, Jan de Nul, AirSealand, Heinlein, Hiperbaires, ITL lawyers, Logimax, Master Marine Surveyors PTP Group, Svitzer supported our objectives.
The award Personality of the year was given to Rear Admiral Maria Ines Uriarte, being the first woman in Argentina to reach that grade. Lovely time celebrating many achievements of WISTA in Argentina!!!!!
The president Mariella Varoni greeting the guests; picture by Anny Zade
…And
in Athens’ Grande Bretagne Hotel the annual traditional ladies Afternoon Tea organised by the “Friends of the Chios Village” took place; a full house as always with exceptional tea, dips, cakes and sweets complimented as always with fashion. This year it was Kiriakos Paroutiades’ designer show, the 2803 Ave. Loft shops, Elena Koulaouzidou’ fashionable furs and jewelry by Drakopoulos’ Fine Jewels.
Congratulations to all for this traditional pre-Christmas charity event bringing Chios’ women together from all over the Attica region and beyond for many decades. The majority of these women are involved with shipping in a multiple way and it was good to see three generations participating as well as many of their friends joined too.
The proceeds from the lottery goes to many people and organisations in need such as old peoples places -the Zorzis Michalinos’ was last time round supplied with heating oil, hospices and others in need.
Excellent comments for the three shows.
That’s all for tonight, have a nice evening and remain on guard from action emanating from Pirates, Terrorists, Criminals and Business Hooligans whatsoever wherever you are on Planet Ocean; we live in interesting times!
