Bloomberg.com: Asia

Bloomberg.com: Asia: "Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar may decline to a record low against the euro in the next six months because U.S. economic growth will slow, forcing the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc."

Federal Reserve allows Citigroup to elude key�banking rule - Aug. 24, 2007

Federal Reserve allows Citigroup to elude key�banking rule - Aug. 24, 2007: "If the Federal Reserve is waiving a fundamental principle in banking regulation, the credit crunch must still be sapping the strength of America's biggest banks."

Comment is free: Rein in finance

Comment is free: Rein in finance: "The global financial markets have turned ugly. August has seen a spasm of selling on stock markets as dealers have come to terms with the fact that the days of unlimited, cheap credit are over. Today there was a whiff of panic in the air. In London, the FTSE index lost 250 points and closed below 6,000 for the first time since last autumn. This followed a big stocks selloff in Asia, which in turn was prompted by a warning from investment bank Merrill Lynch that the US mortgage lender Countrywide could go bust as a result of the crisis in the American housing market. Merrill's comments underline the seriousness of the situation, because Countrywide is not just any old company; it is the US's biggest home loan provider. So when you hear over the coming weeks, as you will, that this is just a market wobble that will soon blow over, take it with a pinch of salt. "

GoldMoney - Founder's Commentary

GoldMoney - Founder's Commentary: "Is a German-style hyperinflation really our future? Central banks in the past week created 1/3rd of a trillion dollars out of thin air in the blink of an eye. Does that sit right with you?"

'No plans' to sell off greenback

'No plans' to sell off greenback: "The US dollar plays an important role in the global monetary system and dollar assets are an important part of China's foreign exchange reserve, the central bank said yesterday."

Bankers Report Interbank Lending Shut For Two Hours Over German Bank Crisis | LaRouche Political Action Committee

Bankers Report Interbank Lending Shut For Two Hours Over German Bank Crisis | LaRouche Political Action Committee: "August 9, 2007 (LPAC)--A senior European banking source reports that the interbank money market closed down this morning for two to three hours, for the first time ever. Rumors had spread that the German Bundesbank was holding an emergency meeting because of a collapse of a major German bank, believed to be Westdeutsches Landesbank, one of the largest in Germany. The Bundesbank then released a statement saying that the meeting was to discuss the IKB banking crisis. The source said that a Westdeutsches Landesbank failure would have collapsed the entire global financial system. The source underlined that this ongoing crisis is far worse then anything he has witnessed."

Dow Sinks 387 on Renewed Credit Concerns - The Huffington Post

Dow Sinks 387 on Renewed Credit Concerns - The Huffington Post: "The ECB's injection of money into the system is an unprecedented move, said Joseph V. Battipaglia, chief investment officer at Ryan Beck & Co., adding that it shows that problems in subprime lending are, in fact, spreading into the general economy. 'This is a mini-panic,' he said. 'All the things that had been denied up until this point are unraveling. On top of this, retail sales were mediocre, which shows that indeed, the housing collapse is affecting the consumer.'"

CANOE Money: Sectors - Central banks intervene to ease fears of credit crunch

CANOE Money: Sectors - Central banks intervene to ease fears of credit crunch: "TORONTO (CP) - The Bank of Canada and other central banks around the world pumped billions of dollars into the financial system Thursday in a bid to calm jittery investors and ease concerns about a looming credit crunch that battered North American stock markets. In an unusual step, the Bank of Canada said Thursday it will 'provide liquidity to support the stability of the Canadian financial system and the continued functioning of financial markets.'"

Bankers Report Interbank Lending Shut For Two Hours Over German Bank Crisis | LaRouche Political Action Committee

Bankers Report Interbank Lending Shut For Two Hours Over German Bank Crisis | LaRouche Political Action Committee: "August 9, 2007 (LPAC)--A senior European banking source reports that the interbank money market closed down this morning for two to three hours, for the first time ever. Rumors had spread that the German Bundesbank was holding an emergency meeting because of a collapse of a major German bank, believed to be Westdeutsches Landesbank, one of the largest in Germany. The Bundesbank then released a statement saying that the meeting was to discuss the IKB banking crisis. The source said that a Westdeutsches Landesbank failure would have collapsed the entire global financial system. The source underlined that this ongoing crisis is far worse then anything he has witnessed."

China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales - Telegraph

China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales - Telegraph: "The Chinese government has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the United States, hinting that it may liquidate its vast holding of US treasuries if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation."

ScienceDaily: New Flexible Plastic Solar Panels Are Inexpensive And Easy To Make

ScienceDaily: New Flexible Plastic Solar Panels Are Inexpensive And Easy To Make: "Science Daily — Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets."

42.8% Efficiency: A New Record for Solar Cells (TreeHugger)

42.8% Efficiency: A New Record for Solar Cells (TreeHugger): "Narrowly edging out the previous record set by Spectrolab late last year, two scientists at the University of Delaware have just created a new device that can convert 42.8% of the light striking it into electricity. The solar cell, built by Christina Honsberg and Allan Barnett, splits light into three components — high, medium and low energy light — and directs it to several different materials which can then extract electrons out of its photons."