Overview
There are two big stories today. The first is the large-scale protests in Iran after the government admits to accidentally shooting down the commercial airliner amid the fog of war. The market impact seems minimal but fueling speculation that this, coupled with the economic hardship related to the US embargo, could topple the regime. Second, the UK reported that the economy unexpectedly contracted in November. With the backdrop of recent dovish commentary by a few officials, including BOE Governor Carney, sterling has suffered, while UK interest rates have fallen as the market begins to