Dr M Khalid's global village blog

 

http://www.sonyclassics.com/insidejob/site/#/trailer http://drkhalid.blogspot.in/2012/04/hyperinflation-how-real-is-danger.html

Moody's cuts credit ratings of 15 major banks Moody's cuts credit ratings of 15 major banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, Reuters Jun 22, 2012, 10.17AM IST, Tags:, Morgan Stanley|Moody's Investors Service, Inc|JPMorgan|Goldman Sachs|Citigroup|Bank of America, NEW YORK: Moody's Investors Service cut the credit ratings of 15 of the world's biggest banks on Thursday in an expected move that was part of a broad review of major financial institutions., Moody's announced the review on Feb. 15, saying these global investment banks' ratings did not capture the evolving challenges of more fragile funding conditions, wider credit spreads, increased regulatory burdens and more difficult operating conditions. From   http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-22/news/32368810_1_credit-ratings-aa3-negative-outlook Also see the clips on this site to decide if you can trust the banks or the rating agencies or none o...

JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, craft 'living wills' in case they fail Reuters   Jun 27, 2012, 12.03PM IST Tags: PricewaterhouseCoopers | Morgan Stanley | JPMorgan | Jamie Dimon | Goldman Sachs | Federal Reserve | FDIC | Citigroup | Bank of America NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: Five of the biggest banks in the United States are putting finishing touches on plans for going out of business as part of government-mandated contingency planning that could push them to untangle their complex operations. The plans, known as living wills, are due to regulators no later than July 1 under provisions of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law designed to end too-big-to-fail bailouts by the government. The living wills cou ld be as long as 4,000 pages.  Since the law allows regulators to go so far as to order a bank to divest subsidiaries if it cannot plan an orderly resolution in bankruptcy, the deadline is pushing even hea...

http://ediplomacy.afp.com/#!/map   The e-diplomacy Hub, developed by Agence France Presse (AFP), visualizes, analyzes and measures the presence and influence of diplomatic actors on Twitter, across the globe and in real-time. Our algorithms yield constantly updated rankings for both states and individuals, and an innovative interface that makes it possible to watch diplomacy in action. Users can customize the application to highlight the e-diplomatic activities of their home country. Driving the app is a database stocked with thousands of accounts, ranging from heads of state, ministers and diplomats to experts, activists and politically-motivated hackers. -- 

PepsiCo moves away from rice bran oil to cut costs. NEW DELHI:  PepsiCo  has silently taken off the 'Snack Smart' logos from the packs of its snack foods like Lay's chips,  Kurkure  and  Cheetos  as it gives up  rice bran oil  to cook its snacks four years after launching the snack smart initiative. Starting March this year, the company has been using cheaper palm oil to cook its snack brands as a cost-saving measure, three officials in knowledge of the development told ET. A PepsiCo spokesman confirmed the switch. "Our analysis of consumer feedback on the use of rice bran oil showed that the consumer did not show any added preference to the use of rice bran oil," he told ET.   The 'snack smart' logos used to claim that the brands, apart from being cooked in healthier oil, had 40% less saturated fat, zero  trans fats  and no added monosodium glutamate. Beginning the second half of 2007, PepsiCo had been saying across va...

How the rupee fall against US dollar affects your budget Usual discussions on the  fall in the rupee  bring up macro-economic matters such as slowing economic growth, corporate earnings and market volatility. However, the woes aren't restricted to corporate corridors or the Dalal Street. For the common man, the falling rupee is going to hit where it hurts the most-the pocket. From essentials such as food and education to foreign vacation and the swanky gadget you plan to buy, the falling rupee will hurt you in more ways than one. GROCERY BILL High inflation has been pinching you for more than a year now. Now, the  weakening rupee  has made crude oil, fertilisers, medicines and iron ore, which India imports in large quantities, costlier. Though these items are not for your daily consumption, they impact your finances indirectly.  For instance, since India depends on imports for a large part of crude oil it consumes, a weak rupee will influence petrol and diesel prices. ...

From  http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/gold-climbs-to-record-high-at-rs-30750-on-seasonal-demand/articleshow/14268988.cms   NEW DELHI:   Gold   zoomed to fresh record high of Rs 30,750 per 10 gm in the national capital today on brisk buying by stockists and jewellers for the current wedding season and a firming global trend.   Silver   also jumped up by Rs 800 to Rs 55,800 per kg on hectic demand by industrial units and coin makers.   Silver ready spurted by Rs 800 to Rs 55,800 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 695 to Rs 55,060 per kg. Silver coins continued to be asked around previous level of Rs 64,000 for buying and Rs 65,000 for selling of 100 pieces.   Read the following for Industrial uses of silver: 1. http://www.silverinstitute.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/futuresilverindustrialdemand.pdf 2. Silver can go to $250 per ounce (current price is $28 per ounce). http://www.moneymorning.com/reports/Silver_MMSIL0...

The outgoing head of the  World Bank , Robert Zoellick, will warn the G20 summit that Europe runs the risk of sparking a Lehman-style global crisis that will have dire consequences for developing nations. As Greek voters go to the polls in elections that could determine the future of the eurozone, Zoellick told the  Observer  he was advising emerging nations to ready themselves for the consequences of events in the single-currency area. The election of an anti-austerity government would spark the most serious crisis for the  euro  so far, following the apparent failure of a Spanish bank bailout last week. German chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday ruled out renegotiating  Greece 's bailout, saying the country must stick to its deals with international lenders. Unofficial polls suggest the conservative New Democracy party is ahead of the anti-austerity Syriza by four percentage points — though as much as 15% of the electorate remains undecided. From...

Watch these two brief videos to understand what is wrong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx16a72j__8   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAR0VRLRGHE   Then read this:  World Bank warns that euro collapse could spark global crisis http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jun/16/world-bank-euro-collapse-crisis  

India has pledged a $10-billion contribution to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help it create an additional $450-billion firewall to resolve the Euro zone crisis. It also posed a key question before G-20 leaders—who would fund the growth requirements of developing, as well as least-developed countries? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held bilateral talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mexican President Felipe Calderon. He also spoke to US President Barack Obama for a couple of minutes on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, before Obama left for his country. From  http://business-standard.com/india/news/india-pledges-10-bn-to-imf-to-bail-out-euro-zone/477907/ Watch these two brief videos to understand what is wrong with eurozone and why it will definitely affect all people on earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx16a72j__8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAR0VRLRGHE

We've reviewed four popular antivirus security products from Microsoft, Symantec, McAfee and Kaspersky over the past few months. So how did they all stack up when we put them to the test? In this antivirus software buyers guide, we reveal the name of the winner of our latest software security shootout, and how we got the scores. From   http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6298&review=antivirus+security+shootout+comparison Also see 1.  http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/27/antivirus-software-microsoft-security-essentials-tested/ 2. from PCmag: " Protection weaker under Windows XP. Mediocre results in hands-on malware blocking and malware removal tests. Left some threats running after alleged removal." From  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376220,00.asp

From http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303734204577467912492917718.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Hong Kong Wins Battle for LME By  NISHA GOPALAN HONG KONG— Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing  Ltd.  0388.HK   +2.65%  said Friday it entered into a deal to buy the London Metal Exchange for £1.39 billion (US$2.16 billion), giving the city's stock exchange instant entry into commodities trading amid China's growing appetite for metals. It muscled out shortlisted  IntercontinentalExchange  Inc.  ICE   +4.67%  as the allure of China swung the balance. But the deal still awaits approval from the U.K.'s Financial Services Authority and shareholders representing at least 75% of LME's ordinary shares. Enlarge Image Reuters Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd CEO Charles Li at a news conference in Hong Kong to announce the purchase of the London Metal Exchange. "It allows us to offer products beyond traditional equities de...

Growing Great Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits & Berries in the Home Garden http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablepatch/u/Vegetables.--M5.htm Home Gardening Tips for Vegetables in India http://www.ehow.com/list_6709569_home-gardening-tips-vegetables-india.html Scientific guidance ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0526e/i0526e.pdf

 ATHENS (Reuters) -  Greeks  pulled their cash out of the banks and stocked up with food ahead of a cliffhanger election on Sunday that many citizens fear will result in the country being forced out of the euro. Bankers said up to 800 million euros ($1 billion) were leaving major banks daily and retailers said some of the money was being used to buy pasta and canned goods in case of shortages, as fears of returning to the  drachma  were fanned by rumors that a radical leftist leader may win the election. The last published opinion polls showed the conservative  New Democracy  party, which backs the 130-billion-euro ($160 billion) bailout that is keeping Greece afloat, running neck-and-neck with the leftist  SYRIZA  party, which wants to cancel the rescue deal. From  http://news.yahoo.com/greek-banks-see-outflows-pickup-election-nears-bankers-092757083--finance.html  ----------  Greeks can face situation which ...

Read full at:  http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/the-next-global-crash-why-you-should-fear-the-commodities-bubble/255901/   The Next Global Crash APR 16 2012, 10:30 AM ET   43 Investors have gone crazy for commodities, pouring money into everything from oil to copper. Just like the world's mania for tech stocks in the 1990s, this boom is headed for a bust.     Wheat is dumped into a grain truck for transfer.   Reuters As playwright Arthur Miller once observed, "An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted." Most of the illusions that defined the last decade -- the notion that global growth had moved to a permanently higher plane, the hope that the Fed (or any central bank) could iron out the highs and lows of the business cycle -- are indeed spent. Yet one idea still has the power to capture the imagination of the markets: that the inexorable rise of China and other big developing economies...

China's annual economic growth could fall below 7 percent in the second quarter if weak activity persists in June, an influential government adviser was quoted on Wednesday as saying. Nikada | Vetta | Getty Images The forecast by Zheng Xinli, a former deputy director of the Chinese communist party's policy research office, is among the most bearish by any government and private sector economists. "GDP growth in the second quarter could fall below 7 percent if there is no significant improvements in economic data for June," the overseas edition of the People's Daily quoted Zheng Xinli, now deputy head of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), a top government think-tank, as saying. From  http://www.cnbc.com/id/47793241

Diesel exhaust fumes are 'major cancer risk' and as deadly as asbestos and mustard gas Diesel exhaust found to cause lung cancer and associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer WHO says the fumes belong in same category as mustard gas and asbestos Risks are on a level with passive smoking Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2158574/Diesel-engine-exhaust-fumes-major-cancer-risk.html#ixzz1xnQ4XjMh

China's economic growth rate is slowing in the second quarter of the year compared with the first, according to a new report by the country's prestigious Renmin University, the 21 Century  Business  Herald reported today. GDP growth in the five months of the year was 7.7% versus a year earlier; that compares with an overall GDP growth rate of 8.1% in the first three months of the year,  the report said. China's growth rate for 2012 will likely bottom out in the second quarter and then manage to expand by 8.6% for the full year, according to the vice dean in the university's school of economics, Liu Yuanchun.  The newspaper report didn't say why. 21 st  Century Business Herald is partly owned by Fosun Media, a licensing partner of Forbes Media in China. From    http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2012/06/13/chinas-gdp-growth-is-slowing-in-the-second-quarter-report-says/

* Some fear price collapse if Saudi doesn't cut back * Iran, Iraq not happy with price fall (updates throughout) By Amena Bakr and Peg Mackey VIENNA, June 14 (Reuters) - OPEC kept oil output limits on hold on Thursday at 30 million barrels a day, powerless to do anything other than hope top producer Saudi Arabia will scale back supplies unilaterally soon to stem a $30 slide in prices. Several in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries called on Saudi to cut back to bring supply down to its agreed collective limit to defend $100-a-barrel crude. "There is at the moment an unjustified rise in the organisation's production," said Algerian Oil Minister Youcef Yousfi said. Price moderate Riyadh though is keen to prevent high fuel costs hampering a return to stronger economic growth in the West. Extra Saudi oil is largely responsible for lifting OPEC output to 31.6 million bpd, well in advance of the group's formal target, first set in Decem...

An oil worker fills oil barrels at an Iraqi refinery. A Swiss bank says the debt crisis has the potential to crater oil prices. (Faleh Kheiber/Reuters) A major Swiss bank says the European debt crisis has the potential to push the price of oil down to $50 US per barrel. In a research note Wednesday, Credit Suisse says its "worst case scenario" for the crude market and global economy would be a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, only this time predicated on European sovereign debt problems. Should that happen, the drop-off in demand for oil would quickly push the price of a barrel of oil to $50 and keep it below $80 for the next two years after that. It's believed that the breakeven point for most oil operations in Alberta's Athabasca oilsands basin is roughly $60 per barrel. "We include a seemingly outlandishly bearish oil price scenario because it is a simple fact that a little more than three years ago prompt Brent futures prices had fallen to $...

Nokia says it will slash 10,000 jobs and close plants as the ailing company fights fierce competition, and gave a grim outlook for most of the year, causing its shares to plummet 18 percent to close at €1.83 ($2.30). The Finnish cellphone maker also on Thursday announced personnel changes and said it has agreed to sell its luxury phone brand, Vertu. The measures, aimed at additional cost savings of €1.6 billion ($2 billion) by the end of next year, will shut down research and development facilities in Ulm, Germany, and Burnaby, British Columbia. Nokia said it will also close its main Finnish manufacturing plant in Salo, with 850 layoffs, but will keep its research and development center there. From  http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/nokia-cuts-10000-jobs-streamlines-save-costs-16566767

Gold price chart in comparatively stable currencies show gold to be non volatile. Here are some charts taken from  http://goldprice.org/gold-price-history.html Notice the consistancy in rise of gold proce over 10 years in Swiss franc (CHF) and AUD in the below charts. These two currencies have also been comparatively stable if we compare these with other currencies. Gold price increase reflects the weakness of a currency over a period of time. Over the last 10 years, the change has been as follows: Gold rose by about 5.5 times over the last 10 years in USD- US Dollar.  Gold rose by about 6 times over the last 10 years in INR- Indian rupee.  Gold rose by about 3.5 times over the last 10 years in AUD - Australian Dollar.  Gold rose by about 3.5 times over the last 10 years in JPY-  Japanese yen.   Gold rose by about 5  times over the last 10 years in GBP - British pound.  Gold rose by...