by Edward Hugh: BarcelonaThe medium-term outlook is sensitive to external developments and policy responses. A benign external environment, featuring even higher steel prices and FDI, could produce growth in excess of 7 percent, but inflation could prove hard to control under a peg. Under an adverse external outlook, by contrast, the peg could lead to external sustainability problems.IMF 2006 Article IV Consultation Staff Report (February 2007)Ukraine's economy is in trouble, there is no doubt about it. The cost of protecting debt against a sovereign default by Ukraine's government soared to a record on Friday, following the arrival of a twin storm of both political and financial uncertaintly. The Ukraine president Viktor Yushchenko announced earlier in the week (only to be challenged on Saturday by his perpetual rival Julia Tymoshenko) that he was going to call what would be the country's third parliamentary elections ...

Dubai luxury developer Nakheel PJSC on Sunday unveiled plans for a tower that will stand a full kilometer (3,280 feet) in height, beating the world record that’s already held by the booming city-state.

Dubai luxury developer Nakheel PJSC on Sunday unveiled plans for a tower that will stand a full kilometer (3,280 feet) in height, beating the world record that’s already held by the booming city-state. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, a holding company that holds a stake in Nakheel, said the project would be “one of a kind,” the Emirati news agency WAM reported. Located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula, Dubai is one of the seven emirates and is the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The new tower project is actually part of an entire town development – known as the Nakheel Harbour & Tower project – that will cover ...

Here's an excerpt from my second Red-Hot Commodity ETFs issue for today ...

Central Banks around the world have apparently decided it’s “free money day.” I’m thinking of driving by the Federal Reserve, just to see if they throw a billion dollars at me when I make a sad face. Hey, the First Bank of Sean could really use that kind of cash infusion. Anyway, needless to say, this is supportive for gold.And you want to know what is REALLY supportive for gold? British regulators just banned short-selling of financial stocks. Why don’t they write “PANIC!” on their foreheads with magic markers and run around screaming on the trading floor? It would have the same effect.If paper gold keeps going higher -- and it certainly could -- we may suddenly see gold eagles available on the market again. The disconnect between paper and physical gold

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