oil glut

Brazilian elections: Two candidates dogged by controversy

The general elections in Brazil on October 7 come amid recent upheavals which have resulted in a sharp political divide, with a large portion of the population either defending the idols they see as persecuted, or turning to the right in an attempt to escape the left they see as fully responsible for corruption and graft.
Meanwhile, a large percentage of the electorate are reeling in horror at the thought of voting for either of the two frontrunners.

Border tensions highlight Venezuelans’ economic distress

Maduro is hoping that his new measures, including raising minimum wages by 3,000 per cent, will curb the economic downward spiral [PPIO]
Calm returned to the streets of the Brazilian border town of Pacaraima Monday after President Michel Temer ordered the military and security forces to the area.
On Saturday, Pacaraima residents clashed with Venezuelans who had streamed across the border, particularly through the border town of Santa Elena de Uairen.

In 2018, kiss the oil glut good bye

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters in early December that OPEC will monitor oil output and production to ensure that the agreement to curb output is met by all until the end of 2018 [Xinhua]
If you haven’t heard by now, 2017 ends with oil prices well breaching the $60 a barrel mark leaving producers much more confident as they head into 2018.
This is a boon on two fronts for the world’s biggest oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia.