🇺🇸❌🇨🇳💱📍🌍 — 📰 ZeroHedge | US vs China: Mapping Trade Dominance In Africa | May 19, 2025:

"China has steadily expanded its global trade footprint and now surpasses the U.S. as the leading trading partner in many regions around the world.

In Africa, for instance, China overtook the U.S. as the continent’s top trading partner back in 2009—a position it continues to hold today.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, visualizes whether each African country trades with the U.S. or China more in 2003 versus 2023."

🗄 Archive

🔗 Source

🇯🇵‼️What is happening in Japan?

Japan's 40-year bond yield just hit its highest level in over 20 years.

Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba has called the situation “worse than Greece.”

All as Japan’s GDP is contracting again.

Meanwhile, rates in the U.S. continue to move in a straight line higher.

The bond market continues to tell us everything that we need to know.

Keep watching the bond market.

https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1924298584091930901

@FelipeChannel

🇨🇳📈☢️— 🇯🇵 Nikkei Asia | China on track to become top nuclear power generator by 2030 | Beijing approves 10 new reactors as construction stalls in US | May 16, 2025:

"BEIJING -- China has approved plans for building 10 nuclear reactors for 200 billion yuan ($27.7 billion), putting the country on track to push its nuclear power generation capacity past the U.S. to become the world's largest by 2030.

The plan to build the reactors was approved at a State Council executive meeting last month. Eight will be third-generation Hualong One reactors, which China's state-owned China National Nuclear Corp. and China General Nuclear Power Group claim to have independently developed based on U.S. and French pressurized water reactors (PWR).

The remaining two reactors will be CAP1000 units based on the AP1000 PWR developed by U.S.-based Westinghouse. The total power generation capacity of the 10 reactors is expected to reach around 12,000 megawatts.

The reactors will be built in the provinces of Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with all planned locations along the coast.

The power plants will be operated by the two nuclear energy companies, as well as such state-owned power companies as State Power Investment Corp. and China Huaneng Group."

🗄 Archive

🔗 Source:

🇵🇦🤝💰 #BREAKING

PANAMA INTRODUCES BILL TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO BUY, SELL, AND ACCEPT #BITCOIN FREELY ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY

https://x.com/pete_rizzo_/status/1924484730562474242

@FelipeChannel

🇮🇱❌🇵🇸 — Israel has allowed only 5 aid trucks into Gaza after almost a month of 0 trucks entering.

➡️For contrast, in normal days prior to war, 500 trucks were entering Gaza daily.

🇨🇳👮‍♂️📹 — A local police drone is seen hovering over the scene

🔗 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele)

😵‍💫📞🇺🇸 — 🇺🇦 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky:

"I spoke to US President Donald Trump twice today. First, we called separately before his conversation with the Russian leader, and then we spoke with President Trump together with European leaders: Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Maloney, Friedrich Merz, Alexander Stubb, Ursula von der Leyen.

This is a defining time. Now the world can see whether its leaders have the capacity to ensure an end to the war and the establishment of a real, lasting peace.

At the beginning of the bilateral conversation, I confirmed to President Trump that we in Ukraine are ready for a complete and unconditional ceasefire, as the United States, in particular, has been talking about. It is important not to dilute this offer. If the Russians are not ready to stop the killings, there must be stronger sanctions for that. Pressure on Russia will encourage it to make real peace - this is obvious to everyone in the world.

I also reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format that will yield results. Turkey, the Vatican, Switzerland – we are considering all possible venues. Ukraine does not need to be convinced of this, and our representatives are ready to make real decisions in the negotiations. We must ensure that Russia is prepared to hold such productive negotiations.

Together with European leaders, we have already discussed possible further steps, including meetings of negotiators and an objective assessment of the parties’ proposals. Each proposal on the table deserves an honest look, and that is why both American and European representatives should be involved in the negotiation process at a certain level. It is very important for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the negotiations and achieving peace, because the only one interested in this is Putin. Thank you all for supporting this approach.

If Russia does not stop the killings, if it does not release prisoners and hostages, if Putin puts forward unrealistic conditions, then this will mean that Russia continues to drag out the war and deserves that Europe, America and the whole world behave accordingly, including responding with additional sanctions. Russia must end the war that it started, and it can do so any day. Ukraine is always ready for peace."

🔗 Source:

🇺🇸📞🗣 — ⚪️ RIA Novosti:

"Ushakov's briefing on the results of the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump. The main points:

🔹The conversation was quite long, lasting 2 hours and 5 minutes.

🔹At the beginning of the conversation, Putin congratulated Trump on the birth of his 11th grandson, wishing health to the newborn and the US leader's daughter.

🔹The conversation was frank and constructive, and took place in a mutually respectful manner.

🔹The leaders discussed the state of relations between Russia and the United States and spoke in favor of their further normalization.

🔹The presidents discussed prisoner exchanges, and the Kremlin announced that they were discussing plans to exchange citizens on a 9-for-9 basis.

🔹Trump sees Russia as one of the most important partners of the United States.

🔹Putin and Trump agreed to continue dialogue on all issues, including Ukraine.

🔹The leaders do not rule out holding a personal meeting, the place and dates have not yet been determined.

🔹There was no talk in the conversation about the time frame for reaching a possible agreement on a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine."

🔗 Source:

🇺🇸📞🗣 — ⭐️ Rybar:

"Statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin following a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump

🔻 Key points:

▪️ The conversation between the parties was constructive and received high praise.

▪️ Donald Trump outlined his position on the ceasefire in the conversation.

▪️ Trump noted that Russia is committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

▪️ A ceasefire is possible only if appropriate agreements are reached.

▪️ The resumption of contacts in Istanbul is seen by Russia as a signal that the parties are “generally on the right track.”

▪️ The main thing is to eliminate the root causes of the “Ukrainian crisis”.

▪️ Russia and the so-called Ukraine must seek compromises acceptable to both sides.

▪️ Russia is ready to work with the so-called Ukraine on a memorandum on a future peace treaty."

🔗 Source: