IMF

France will provide Cameroon with 213 billion CFA francs worth of grants over the next five years to pay for agricultural and infrastructure projects, state radio announced on Friday.

Deadly rioting in the North African nations of Tunisia and Algeria underscore a clash between peoples’ anger over harsh economic realities and totalitarian governments’ clampdown on any dissent.

If European Banks pay a one-time tax of 50 billion euros, it could help restore some stability to the EU, Reuters said, citing documents from the European Commission obtained by them.

The European Union's top economics official called on Wednesday for a strengthening of Europe's financial safety net as Portugal, widely seen as the next candidate for a bailout, returned to the market for funds.

Traders are talking about buying dips again, concurs a Hong Kong dealer, noting that Asia physical market remains very tight for Gold Bars. Reuters says the Hong Kong premium for wholesale Gold Bars over benchmark London prices today held at $3 per ounce, a near 30-month high.

The Greek budget deficit narrowed more than targeted last year, mainly led by a drop in government spending.

As the European debt crisis worsens there appears to be more help coming from Asia, with Japan on Tuesday offering to buy Irish bonds coming up for sale this month.

The Gold Price in Euros whipped within 1.5% of last month's all-time record highs in London trade on Monday, as weaker-economy Eurozone bonds fell sharply on a raft of bail-out rumors and leaks.

The Gold Price in Dollars slid to a near 6-week low in early London trading on Friday, dropping below $1360 an ounce, but then bounced back to $1369 as New York trading began and Non-Farm Payrolls showed a rise of 103,000 - below analyst forecasts - and the labor-force participation rate slipped further below two-in-three.

Persisting political crisis in Pakistan, which got worse with the withdrawal of support to the government by two key allies and the assassination of a popular provincial governor, point to a serious governance failure and can further halt the strained IMF standby program aimed at restoring fiscal health, an analyst has said.

John Lipsky, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has said 2011 will be a pivotal year for the global economic recovery and for international policy cooperation, adding that it's also a crucial year for the Fund as it will try to address these principal challenges.

The EU and the IMF currently have enough funds to bailout another couple of countries that are steeped in debt. Currently, Italy, Spain and Portugal are fighting to survive while investors wonder which one will throw in the towel first.

Minutes from the last FOMC meeting held on Dec. 14, 2010.

Perhaps the surprising good health of Pakistan’s equity market shows how disconnected financial trading markets can be from the state of the society they reside in.

The economy of Singapore surged by an astounding 14.7 percent in 2010, primarily driven by a surge in manufacturing activity, versus a 1.3 decline in the prior year, making it Asia’s fastest-growing economy.

Chinese ambassador to Spain said on Monday China will contribute to efforts to secure Spain's financial stability and economic recovery as the debt-hit nation is trying to shore up investor confidence and avert any sovereign crisis.

The Gold Price in Euros has risen more than 38% so far in 2010. The Gold Price in Swiss Francs has also hit record highs. It looks as if the SNB will have to revoke its decision to stop intervening, says Steven Barrow, chief currency strategist at Standard Bank in London today.

Unless the European Union (EU) formulates an effective response to the ongoing debt crisis in Europe, the continent faces a new wave of bank failures and a string of sovereign defaults, according to Willem Buiter, the chief economist at Citigroup.

A senior bullion logistics executive in Switzerland yesterday told BullionVault that shipments of Gold Bullion to China are running much higher – and have begun much earlier – to meet consumer demand for the Chinese New Year, which will start on 3rd Feb. 2011.

China will buy 4 to 5 billion euros of Portuguese debt in first quarter 2011 and save Europe once again in the process.

The Hong Kong property market -- fueled by strong capital inflows -- soared almost 20 percent so far this year.