Now would be a great time to visit Japan.  I didn't find it expensive at all at 100 yen to the dollar.  But 155.  Wow!

Yup, BOJ decided to stand pat, Yen took the hit.

And, in other news...

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/china-pivotal-us-inflations-path

...I do not see the Chi-Com's helping our inflation woes at their expense, so...yeah...

Our Fed remains cornered...

Busy news day...

This should provide some interesting video clips in the future, right now they're fairly tame - https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/poland-ready-help-ukraine-round-military-aged-men

What happened to European's compassion for war refugees?  It's because they are white, isn't it?   

This is funny - https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-will-target-us-nuclear-weapons-poland-if-they-appear

Hotheads?!  How about your batshyt-crazy lapdog Lukashenko and the nuke's y'all got there?!  Your hotheads are targeted too, nah nah nah nah nah!

 

More internal EU fun stuff likely to bog down into paralyzing inaction - https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/eu-prepares-tighten-screws-russian-lng-imports

If they were really serious about fighting the Rus there would be no disagreement...

And some tit for tat, or tat for tit, er whatever - https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/russia-seize-440-million-jpmorgan

No funds for you, or you!   

And an interesting regional players internal drama - https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/polish-president-admits-major-infrastructure-project-has-dual-military-purposes

And, perhaps more consequentially, more long-range attacks on Russia coming - https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/uk-sends-record-aid-package-defense-chief-says-ukraine-increase-long-range-strikes

And, within hours of new funds from idiotic UniParty asshats in America...

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/russian-refineries-under-attack-again-brent-crude-nears-90-mark

I think Sec. Blinken missit needs to leave Israel alone and go get their muppet in Kyiv straightened out...

That 1930's vibe just isn't dissipating, is it?

If this is accurate, Central Asia is embracing independence Ukraine was denied...and how ironic it got a jump-start by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Via EurasiaNet.org,

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reanimated US and EU interest in Central Asia.

China has eclipsed Russia as the region's largest trade partner.

Central Asian trade is diversifying away from Russia and towards the West.

The Great Game is playing out once again in Central Asia, but it is getting a new name and adopting a different set of rules. Economics, not politics, is defining the terms of the current superpower competition for regional influence, according to a report prepared by a Kazakh research institute.
There is a key difference governing the global rivalries in Central Asia in the 19th and 21st centuries: these days, regional states, not outsiders, wield the more influence over potential outcomes, according to the report, titled Pursuing Multi-Vectorism Through Business Diplomacy: The Path for Central Asia. The report was published by the Talap Center for Applied Research.

“The region, previously the theater of the Great Game in the confrontation of superpowers, is now trying to become an opportunity zone,” the report states.

Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in 2022, and the imposition of Western sanctions to punish Russian aggression, changed Central Asia’s geopolitical dynamics by reanimating US and European Union interest in the region. By extension, Russia’s actions encouraged the diversification of trade and investment, changing East-West trade patterns connecting China and Europe. Sanctions have diminished the utility of the Northern Corridor via the trans-Siberian railway, while providing impetus for the growth of the Middle Corridor via Central Asia.

These changes have shifted Central Asia’s center of geo-economic gravity. China has eclipsed Russia as the region’s largest trade partner, while the overall trend is toward diversification of trade partners. The West’s share of Central Asian trade under the present dynamic is set to keep rising.

“The trade and investment dynamics in the region show a significant shift of diversification with non-traditional markets of Europe, North America, South Asia, and the Middle East since 2022,” the Talap report notes.

“This has become possible due to a traditional, multi-vector policy for the region, which, under the stress of escalating conflicts, was transformed into a policy of emphatic non-alignment – a firm rejection of any involvement in the conflict.”

The report notes that the contacts between the European Union and Central Asian states have “have gained a special dynamism” since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It also notes that public opinion in the region indicates that a majority of regional residents do not want to get dragged into the confrontation between the West and Russia, which is supported by China.

The prevailing circumstances have forced Central Asian states to “balance a genuine interest in developing their ties with the Western world while being surrounded by Iran, Afghanistan, China, and Russia, countries with which the West has strained and even tense relations,” the report says.

Maximizing economic multi-vectorism will require some work by Central Asian governments to enhance the predictability of the regional business climate. Vaguely defined trade rules and property rights, along with the unreliability of regional judicial systems, remain big impediments to Western investment. The lack of mechanisms to enforce contracts or resolve corporate disputes also constitutes an investment barrier. In addition to bolstering the independence of the judicial system, the Talap report recommends reforms to regional tax codes to foster more “equitable” business environments.

“The investment climate in Central Asia reflects a difficult balance between the determination of governments to take advantage of growing interest in the region and the inertia of institutional barriers,” the report states.

“To take advantage of these opportunities, the countries of the region have to address existing institutional and regulatory barriers for both domestic and international companies and investors, strengthen the rule of law, enforce fair and open competition, implement business friendly tax regulations, and align trade, customs and logistical standards.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/great-game-returns-central-asia

I wish them well.  Hopefully they can hang onto it.

Now would be a great time to visit Japan.  I didn't find it expensive at all at 100 yen to the dollar.  But 155.  Wow!

Hamas has rejected an urgent formal plea from world leaders to release all remaining Israeli hostages, with the designated terror group telling the West "you can't force us to do anything."

Earlier on Thursday the US was among a group of 17 countries which have citizens in Hamas custody that released a joint statement calling on Hamas to free them.

This was the first such international joint statement of the conflict, which has run for more than half a year. Prior attempts at similar statements never got past the draft phase as countries had vastly differing perspectives of the Gaza crisis.

"We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and Gaza now for over 200 days. They include our citizens," the statement said. "The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza who are protected under international law is of international concern."

The leaders from the following countries were behind the statement: United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/first-17-nations-release-joint-statement-demanding-hamas-release-all-hostages

OK, well...leaves only crushing Hamas utterly then.