Mauritius central bank to promote gold savings plan

The Bank of Mauritius will begin selling minted gold bars to the public in November, in a bid to promote a savings culture in the country.

Ecuador wants to repatriate gold reserves

"Over the weekend we stated the gold repatriation avalanche had begun with a Netherlands citizens group joining the German Federal Accountability Office in demanding the BOE and NY Fed return their nation’s gold reserves. We predicted that an avalanche of nations across the West would soon join Germany and Venezuela in attempting to repatriate their tungsten gold reserves from the Fed and the BOE, and it appears that avalanche is picking up momentum as Ecuador, with 26.3 tons of gold reserves, has just demanded the repatriation of one third of their foreign gold holdings‘to support national growth‘."

New York, Sandy storm picture twitpic

This photo of FDR drive under water is the best I got so far twitter.com/kristengwynne/…

— Kristen Gwynne (@kristengwynne) October 30, 2012

New Jersey:

Lower east side of manhattan right now: #thisisnotajoke twitter.com/HobokenGirlBlo…

— Hoboken Girl (@HobokenGirlBlog) October 29, 2012

Australia investment fund Banksia in receivership, investors face difficulty recovering funds

Banksia investors nervous

THOUSANDS of Banksia Financial Group investors remain in limbo and are facing the loss of millions of dollars. Investor assets have been frozen after the company went into receivership yesterday amid $660 million debt. The news has devastated investors, particularly in northern Victoria where there are several Banksia offices.

Banksia investors unlikely to have all money returned

Elderly, families may lose nest eggs after collapse of Banksia Financial Group

Receiver's release

Banksia

Panama:Strikes and protests continue in Colon, spread to Panama City

PANAMA – October 26th, 2012 – (InsideCostaRica.com)

– Factions against the sale of lands in the Colon Free Zone did not accept the Government’s offer to revoke a section of the law that allows the territory to be sold. They announced that the protests would stop only if the entire law is abolished.

The city of Colon, which holds the largest Free Zone in the continent, has seen all commercial, transportation and education activity completely shutdown for the past three days, due to the strikes that were declared in opposition to the Panamanian government’s plans to sell lands in the Free Zone to private companies.

Various transit routes were also blocked in Panama City by members of the “Suntracs” construction union, who are also opposed to the sale of lands in the Colon Free Zone, resulting in many delays in traffic.

Syria, Aleppo: People cheer the army after rebel forces were driven out today. 25-10-2012

Sudan says Israel bombed munitions factory south of Khartoum

Four planes bombed the Yarmouk arms complex in the capital, Khartoum, killing two, Sudan's information minister Ahmed Belal Osman says.

Kuwait Protests Update: Tear Gas And Stun Grenades Used

1:38am UK, Monday 22 October 2012

About 100 protesters and 11 police officers were injured as Kuwaiti police used tear gas and rubber bullets during clashes with demonstrators, according to witnesses and officials.

Opposition activists were marching against planned changes to election laws ahead of polls due to take place in December.

Afghanistan oil production: China's CNPC begins operations in Amu Darya

Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:25am EDT[reuters]

"Afghanistan signed a 25-year contract with National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) last December covering drilling and a planned refinery in the northern provinces of Faryab and Sar-e-Pul. It is the first major oil production in the country."

Kuwait: Tensions escalate as opposition call for protest

Situation getting more and more complex

Several wounded as Kuwait protesters clash with police

Kuwait cracks down on opposition as crisis deepens

"Saturday, October 20, 2012 KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait plunged into political turmoil on Friday after the public prosecution ordered the detention of three former opposition MPs for three days with more arrests expected."

Kuwaiti police attack anti-government protesters

Published Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Riot police used batons to beat anti-government protesters in Kuwait City last night, arresting six and injuring four, as they criticized the ruling family and demanded a greater political voice, witnesses said. At least 5,000 protesters attended the rally, defying a government order to cancel the demonstration outside the national assembly.

Greece 24-hour strike on Thursday turns aggressive

JIM WILLIE: EXTREME SYMPTOMS & HIDDEN MENACE AS GOLD TARGETS $1900

"The charred financial and economic landscape has transformed so radically since 2008, that aberrant distorted disconfigured bizarre and twisted are considered as normal."

-Deep dependence upon bond monetization without sterilization has become the norm -The hidden motive for QE3 is to bury multi-$trillion mortgage bond fraud -The USDollar global reserve privilege will be victim to the never-ending global financial crisis -The COMEX and LBMA are scrambling to find Gold & Silver supply for inventory

Reserve currency history

Saudi Arabia And China Team Up To Build A Gigantic New Oil Refinery

In mind the name of this blog, here is what kind of thing the TV "news" is not reporting:

The largest oil exporter in the Middle East has teamed up with the second largest consumer of oil in the world (China) to build a gigantic new oil refinery and the mainstream media in the United States has barely even noticed it. This mammoth new refinery is scheduled to be fully operational in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu by 2014. Over the past several years, China has sought to aggressively expand trade with Saudi Arabia, and China now actually imports more oil from Saudi Arabia than the United States does. In February, China imported 1.39 million barrels of oil per day from Saudi Arabia. That was 39 percent higher than last February.

Saudi oil refinery deal shows close ties

"The $8.5 billion joint venture, which covers an area of about 5.2 million square meters, is already under construction. It will process 400,000 barrels of heavy crude oil per day. Aramco will hold a 62.5 percent stake in the plant while Sinopec will own the remaining 37.5 percent. The deal "represents a strategic partnership in the refining industry between one of the main energy producers in Saudi Arabia and one of the world's most important consumers", said Aramco president and CEO Khalid Al-Falih."

Are the Wars in the Middle East and North Africa Really About Oil?

But it's about gas as much as oil ...

Venezuela: Chavez appears to have about 54% in election

Chavez sends armored carriers in streets for order during election.

(Venezuela vote) Chavez polls 54.4pc (10 mins ago)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was re-elected to another six-year term after seeing off a stiff challenge from youthful opposition leader Henrique Capriles, partial results showed.

“I ask the nation to stay calm, be patient and that nobody despair, that nobody fall into provocations, no violence, and we wait for the results,'' Chavez said in a phone call to his campaign team.

“Calm, act sensibly, patience! Today was a historic, magnificent day, the people spoke!'' Capriles wrote earlier on Twitter. “We know what happened and we must wait! Viva Venezuela!''

Latino América mas unida que nunca,gano #Chavez,gano la patria grande! Cipayo LTA,llora,llora la derecha![Translate:"about 3 hours ago Latin America more united than ever, won # Chavez, won the great nation! Cipayo LTA, cry, cry right!]"

California gasoline shortage

Carl Smith stops to take a picture of high gasoline prices posted at a gas station Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, in San Diego. Californians woke up to a shock Friday as overnight gasoline prices jumped by as much as 20 cents a gallon in some areas, ending a week of soaring costs that saw some stations close and others charge record prices. The average price of regular gas across the state was nearly $4.49 a gallon, the highest in the nation, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge report. Photo: Gregory Bull / AP Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Short-supplies-keep-gas-prices-rising-in-Calif-3921155.php#ixzz28Ui63nQg

Short supplies keep gas prices rising in Calif. Updated 10:27 p.m., Friday, October 5, 2012

"California gas prices continued surging Friday, adding another 17 cents per gallon on average, and the increases are expected to continue for at least several more days, ensuring long lines and short tempers at pumps around the state. A week of soaring costs has led some stations to close and others to charge record prices — in some places $5 or more — as California leapfrogged Hawaii as the state with the most expensive fuel. "

UK banks LloydsTSB and Halifax unable to process withdrawals

Lloyds TSB, Halifax, Co-operative and Smile customers have reported being unable to access their accounts, withdraw money or make purchases in stores.

Bahrain civil unrest

Twitter from Bahrain

Demonstrators hurled firebombs and rocks at troops about 700 meters (yards) from Pearl Square, where crowds gathered in February 2011 as the Arab Spring-inspired uprising erupted in the Gulf nation.

Iran currency inflating rapidly

In consequence, Iran is now experiencing a devastating increase in prices – hyperinflation.

Iran however has been buying gold and selling oil for gold.

Iran bought gold to cut dollar exposure

Greece municipal workers confront troika auditors

Gathered threw coffee in the technical team of auditors Swearing, kicking and water in the Troika [entourage]

Earlier on Tuesday, municipality workers chased members of a Troika technical team as they were trying to meet with Greek majors from the Central Union of Municipalities (KEDE). However the municipality workers union tried to hinder the meeting.

They blocked the KEDE entrance with overturned garbage bins. When the team arrived, the workers started to chase them, to throw water bottles at them and use the usual …French. Proto Thema speaks even of “kicks” and “hurled coffees”.