The step away from the edge of the abyss may have stirred the animal spirits, but it remains precarious at best. The formal withdrawal of the extradition bill in Hong Kong is too late and too little at this juncture. The ambitions of the protests have evolved well beyond that. Italy has a new government, but a prolonged honeymoon is unlikely for this unlikely union. Face-to-face talks between the US and China are better than no talks but hardly indicates an end to the tariff war. In fact, the US is planning on raising the 25% tariffs to 30% on October 1. Steps have been taken to avoid a no-deal Brexit, but it is not ... (full story)