United States

New Greek Crisis “Biggest Risk for Gold”, Bank of England “Has Left Door Open” for More QE, Goldman Sachs says “Long Gold Position Recommended”

February 22, 2012 (Vietnamica) — U.S. dollar gold prices held steady just off $1760 an ounce during Wednesday morning trading in London, after a rally in Tuesday’s US session saw gold climb 1.3%. Silver prices softened slightly but held above $34 per ounce – having through that level on Tuesday following the Greek bailout announcement. Stocks and commodities edged lower this morning, while government bond prices gained.

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Iran Warns of Preemptive Action; U.S. Poll Voters Think Iran the Biggest Enemy

February 21, 2012 (Vietnamica) — Iran warned today of a preemptive attack against its perceived enemies if the country feels its national interests are in jeopardy (NYT), amid rising tensions with the West over its controversial nuclear program. A day earlier, UN nuclear investigators visiting Tehran were barred from Iranian nuclear facilities.

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CFR: Eurozone Approves New Greek Bailout

February 21, 2012 (Vietnamica) — Eurozone finance ministers agreed to a new $172 billion bailout package (WSJ) for Greece early this morning, along with a 53 percent write-down of Greek debt by the country’s private sector creditors. The plan is expected to reduce Greece’s debt burden from 160 percent to 120.5 percent of GDP by 2020. The European Central Bank also agreed to indirectly help Greece by distributing future profits on its holdings of Greek bonds bought on the secondary market. Under the agreement, the European Commission would have an “enhanced and permanent presence” in Athens to monitor the...

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The State of the World: A Framework

February 21, 2012 (Vietnamica) — The evolution of geopolitics is cyclical. Powers rise, fall and shift. Changes occur in every generation in an unending ballet. However, the period between 1989 and 1991 was unique in that a long cycle of human history spanning hundreds of years ended, and with it a shorter cycle also came to a close. The world is still reverberating from the events of that period.

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Gold’s “Consolidation Phase” Continues, “Time to Deliver” for Euro Leaders, China “Shows Growth is Priority”

February 20, 2012 (Vietnamica) — Wholesale market gold bullion prices held above $1730 an ounce in Monday morning’s London trading – roughly in line with where gold has been for much of February – while European stocks and commodities edged higher amid hopes that policymakers might finally approve Greece’s second bailout. US markets are closed for a holiday.

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New Scholarship Named After Ex-Boise State University Student

Feb 18, 2012 (Vietnamica) — A new financial aid fund for grade school students was recently set up in Vietnam in honor of an ex-student from the US Boise State University (BSU) “Trang Doan Scholarship.” Doan Thi Doan Trang, born in 1980, used to be a student of the high school for gifted students Le Quy Don, Thua Thien Hue Province in the central Vietnam.

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