Has The World Gone Mad?

Presenting a few of tonight’s headlines…

*OBAMA:`THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES IF PEOPLE STEP OVER THE LINE’ (like last time with Syria?)
*U.S. WARNS OF POSSIBLE EXPLOSIVES HIDDEN IN SHOES: NBC NEWS (credible threat?)
*FACEBOOK TO BUY WHATSAPP FOR ABOUT $16B CASH AND STOCK ($50 per user!)
*U.S. COULDN’T REACH UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN FEW DAYS: OFFICIALS (can you hear me now?)
JAPAN JAN. IMPORTS RISE 25.0% Y/Y (Abenomics is nailing it)
*MADURO CALLS ON OPPOSITION LEADERS TO STOP VENEZUELA VIOLENCE (sounds like a plan)
*ABE: WANTS OPPORTUNITY FOR TALKS WITH CHINA, SOUTH KOREA (to divvy up the rest of Asia?)
*CNN LIES ABOUT VENEZUELA EVERY DAY: MADURO (no comment)
Vietnam Bans Import of Used Electronic Devices
*WILLIAMS: FED HAS REACHED `END OF THE LINE’ ON JOBS THRESHOLD (that didn’t last long)
*MADURO SAYS `IT’S YOUR LAST CHANCE OR YOU’RE TOAST’ (but you wanted peace?)
*MORIMOTO:BOJ TO CHECK RISKS, MAKE POLICY ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED (risk?)
*SUGA: EXPECTS IMPROVEMENT IN TRADE BALANCE IN FUTURE (any day now)
*OBAMA SAYS WILL SEEK COOPERATION WITH PUTIN ON UKRAINE (worked last time?)

Has the world gone mad?

And a few more that made us frown…

ABE: WILL REVISE LAW IF NECESSARY ON COLLECTIVE DEFENSE (but we thought you wanted to chat)
CHINA PBOC TO SELL 60B YUAN OF 14-DAY REPOS: TRADER (how’s that tightening going?)
WILLIAMS SAYS RATE GUIDANCE MANY YEARS IN ADVANCE `NOT HELPFUL’ (as long as IMF’s Greek 2022 GDP forecast still stands)
MADURO SAYS ECONOMY HAS TOO MUCH LIQUIDITY (just perplexed)
HOCKEY SAYS G-20 SHOULDN’T TALK IN GENERALITIES ABOUT GROWTH (What else is there?)
BULLARD SAYS WEATHER HASN’T LOWERED HIS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK (sigh)
*MCLAREN SAYS IT’S DEVELOPING ENTRY-LEVEL SPORTS CAR (makes perfect sense)
*PHILIPPINES FILES CASE VS IMPORTERS WHO BROUGHT IN CANADA TRASH (who else is gonna do it for minimum wage?)