Current Events-Babylon(new) & Babylon (old)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/non-emergency-u-employees-told-194624979.html

US employees told to leave Iraq amidst concern that Iran may target them.

Current Events-China

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/trump-xi-meet-defiant-china-hits-u-tariffs-000110547--business.html

LOL, they even got "CHAIRMAN" ZEDONG with the all seeing...

PREDICTION

NOTICEABLE INFLATION TO HIT BABYLON.

UPDATE 2/21/22

The consumer price index climbed 7% in 2021, the largest 12-month gain since June 1982, according to Labor Department data released Wednesday. The widely followed inflation gauge rose 0.5% from November, exceeding forecasts.Jan 12, 2022    

U.S. inflation rate climbs to 7.5% after another sharp increase in consumer prices.Feb 10, 2022

Current Events-Economy

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/morgan-stanley-says-rest-2019-072719044.html
(Bloomberg) -- The beginning of 2019 has been good for U.S. assets. But the back half might not be as favorable, according to Morgan Stanley

Current Events-WAR

https://www.yahoo.com/news/as-trump-escalates-pressure-experts-fear-iran-will-strike-back-133314753.html
The Trump administration’s strategy of ratcheting up diplomatic, financial and military pressure on Iran is increasing the likelihood that Tehran will use its proxy forces to strike U.S. targets abroad, according to several former intelligence officials.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/iran-may-attack-israel-u-standoff-escalates-israeli-090324737.html

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli cabinet minister warned on Sunday of possible direct or proxy Iranian attacks on Israel should the stand-off between Tehran and Washington escalate.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/iran-guards-chief-says-americans-started-psychological-war-084956096.html

GENEVA (Reuters) - A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Sunday the U.S. military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now represents a target, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.

The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East in a move that U.S. officials said was made to counter "clear indications" of threats from Iran to American forces in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month.

"An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities," said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division.

"If (the Americans) make a move, we will hit them in the head," he added, according to ISNA.

U.S. President Donald Trump also has increased economic pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all its oil exports, to try to get Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs as well as end support for proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/apos-apos-not-going-happy-191253999.html

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump threatened Iran with a "bad problem" Monday following news that Saudi Arabian oil tankers were sabotaged near the Persian Gulf. 

Current Events-WAR

https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudi-energy-minister-says-two-saudi-oil-tankers-035037322.html

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran.

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not describe the nature of the attack or say who was behind it.

Current Events-Trade WAR

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/stock-market-news-may-13-2019-121610383.html

On May 10, Trump made good on his promise to raise tariffs by 15% on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The now 25% tariffs are meant as a punishment to China for the country's refusal to accept the Trump Administration’s latest version of a potential trade deal. Trump also ordered the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately $300 billion.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/p-stock-futures-fall-asian-stocks-u-china-004439114.html

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global stock markets tumbled on Monday and the Chinese yuan weakened to its lowest level since December as the trade war between the United States and China escalated.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/washington-and-wall-street-wake-up-to-the-reality-that-beijing-is-happy-to-walk-away-2019-05-13?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

As Wall Street reels from the shock of a trade war exploding to new heights in the form of tariffs and counter tariffs, there's another reality that is setting in — that China seems happy to walk away from trade talks. “Until a week ago, it looked likely that a far-reaching trade deal would be struck between the U.S. and China within a matter of weeks. Whether Beijing has miscalculated or not, China's policy makers are betting that they can absorb a blow to the nearly $400 billion of exports that the country, on net, sells to the U.S. each year.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/swing-states-are-among-hardest-hit-by-chinas-tariffs-195431567.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/these-are-the-biggest-dow-losers-since-the-trade-war-escalated.html?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cheadline%7Cstory%7C&par=yahoo&yptr=yahoo

The Dow is down about 1,200 points since President Donald Trump announced tariff hikes last week, with heavier losses in companies with business in China. Intel, Apple and Caterpillar have all dropped more than 10% in the six trading days since the president's tweet on May 5. Intel in particular may be vulnerable to a deterioration in U.S.-China trade relations, which about 25% on its sales coming from China, according to FactSet.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-goods-affected-china-tariffs-163609599.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-13/trump-warns-china-impasse-to-worsen-if-xi-retaliates-on-tariffs

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ground-zero-u-china-rivalry-213013793.html

https://www.investors.com/etfs-and-funds/etfs/china-stock-funds-dive-further-as-trade-war-heats-up/?src=A00220&yptr=yahoo

https://realmoney.thestreet.com/jim-cramer/jim-cramer-you-better-strap-yourself-in-14957959?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO&yptr=yahoo

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-all-the-stuff-the-us-imports-from-china-thats-causing-a-huge-trade-deficit-2018-03-23?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-impose-tariffs-60-billion-u-goods-123643364--business.html

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/china-says-never-surrender-foreign-pressure-amid-trade-073344753--business.html

Current Events-China

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-china-trade-war-heats-092121705.html

What's the saying go like? 

"Do not poke a sleeping bear."

A GIANT PANDA BEAR!

Current Events-Wars and rumors thereof

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/china-still-cautiously-optimistic-u-trade-talks-despite-000637067--sector.html

Trade, cyber, military.

So Babylon worries about Iran, Taiwan and Venezuela. Then China deals an economic blow. What does Big Vlad do?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-raises-stakes-china-hiking-215324180.html

The tariff war between the world's two largest economies continues to grow. Trade talks with China resuming in Washington Friday morning hours after the U.S. doubled tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods.

Current Events-Wars and rumors thereof

https://www.yahoo.com/news/irans-revolutionary-guards-reject-talks-u-trump-offer-111601330.html

Trump made the offer as he increased economic and military pressure on Iran, moving to cut off all Iranian oil exports this month while beefing up the U.S. Navy and Air Force presence in the Gulf. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved a new deployment of Patriot missiles to the Middle East, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday.

The U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, deployed as a warning to Iran, passed through Egypt's Suez Canal on Thursday and American B-52 bombers have also arrived at a U.S. base in Qatar, U.S. Central Command said.

Iran has dismissed both moves - which the United States said it took after U.S. intelligence signaled possible preparations by Tehran to attack U.S. forces or interests - as "psychological warfare" designed to intimidate it.

"Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or the Persian Gulf," MARAD said.

"Reporting indicates heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and interests."

MARAD said U.S.-flagged ships were encouraged to contact the Fifth Fleet at least two days before sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. The fleet's job is to protect commercial shipping in the area.

The strait of Hormuz is the big one. Something happens there, that = beef.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-us-moving-patriot-missile-battery-mideast-210317435--politics.html

U.S. officials announced Sunday that they would rush an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the region. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying ships have passed through the Suez Canal and are now in the Red Sea.