The Day at a Glance | July 19 2023

*The construction of houses in the US decreased significantly during June. 

*In the US, former President Donald Trump said that special prosecutor, Jack Smith, informed him that he is the target of a criminal investigation related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the Capitol riots on January 6th, 2021. 

*Russia launched an airstrike on Odessa, Ukraine, for the second consecutive night after an explosion on the bridge to Crimea, which has been attributed to Kyiv. However, Ukrainian authorities promised not to be intimidated and stated that they will continue working on grain exports.

*For the first time in decades, a US soldier is under North Korean custody. Soldier Travis King was arrested after intentionally – and without authorization – crossing into North Korean territory, which could be used as a powerful “bargaining chip” for the Asian country.

Economic environment

The construction of houses in the US recorded a -8.0% monthly setback during June, equivalent to 1.43 million homes. This is its worst figure since July of last year, following an increase of 15.7% during May. Additionally, building permits declined by -3.7% m/m, the largest monthly contraction since January of this year, after a 5.6% rebound in May.