China bans foreign financial news operations -- FT Asia

Personal Analysis... no comment... Perhaps some other time. For now let me be clear the opinions expressed in this specific entry are those of the Financial Times and their journalists.

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China raised the spectre of renewed international trade friction over market access for foreign financial information providers as the government said such businesses must not engage in news gathering in China.

The surprise ban on this business area is seen by industry executives as backtracking on an agreement China reached with the US, the EU and Canada in November last year on allowing companies like Bloomberg, Dow Jones and Thomson Reuters to distribute information to financial and corporate clients.

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“Thomson Reuters has developed an excellent relationship with SCIO over many years and looks forward to working with them on the successful implementation of the new measures to ensure that financial markets in China are as well informed as their counterparts outside China,” said Henry Manisty, global head of government and regulatory affairs at Thomson Reuters.

Dow Jones and Bloomberg were not immediately available for comment.

China has required foreign news agencies to distribute to media clients only through Xinhua for more than 50 years. This will not change, and the foreign players do not challenge this arrangement for their news agency business which helps the Chinese government ensure news does not reach the public uncensored.

Click here to access this FT Asia article

The IncaKolaNews Weekly -- Mining, LatAm, Stocks and more

Back in May 2008, soon after I made my decision to participate the world of internet blogging, social networking, independent analysis/journalism and information exchange I stumbled upon a incredible site by the name of IncaKolaNews. It is run by a humble, well informed, intelligent guy who goes by the name of Otto.

He's down on the ground in Peru, and by "down on the ground" I don't mean living in a nice Miraflores apartment facing the Pacific Ocean in the capital Lima.

Otto is the real deal and offers a very insightful view into the real world of South American politics, mining and finance.

Check out his site @ http://incakolanews.blogspot.com

Here are some highlights as to what the INK Weekly will offer subscribers. I have copy and pasted this information from this page where you can click to read a more in depth summary.

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* Fundamental analysis of mining stocks. The weekly will include at least two NOBS reports per month (perhaps more), a format that has proved very popular with site regulars. These reports are likely to cover mostly junior miners but may include other regions than LatAm or different industrial sectors if good opportunity arises. The NOBS reports will likely aim at highlighting buying opportunities, but may also cover updates or even hold/sell calls if a company catches my eye. The reports will also eventually cover the 'Stocks to Follow' portfolio.

* Stocks to follow. I plan on developing a short list (likely not more than ten stocks at any given moment) of companies that I believe will offer strong profit-making opportunities. Once again, Latin American exposed stocks will be favoured but other regions will not be excluded for simple geographical reasons. The performance will be tracked using a model portfolio. Additionally, as 'selling well' is equally as important as a successful buy call, the IKN Weekly will not hesitate in giving 'take profit' or 'stop loss' signals. Regular readers of the blog will know how I normally call my trades on site and the principle will be the same.

* Regional Politics, but not any old gossip. Regional political or economic developments that offer the investor a potentially profitable knowledge advantage are the matters that will interest us in The IKN Weekly. What Hugo said to Evo about Barack will not interest us. The type of political development in Ecuador that allowed this blog to call Dynasty (DMM.to) a buy just days before the beginning of its 300% upmove in December will most definitely interest The IKN Weekly.

* Market Watching, providing impressions, thoughts, opinions on whatever happens in the sector during the week and how you as an investor might benefit going forward. This would really be a catch-all category covering many aspects of the junior mining investment world, but a topical example would be as in yesterday morning's blog content mentioning International Royalty Corp. (IRC.to) (ROY). I wrote that IRC.to would be a good way to play the positive news from Barrick about Pascua Lama. It subsequently rose 13% from C$2.63 to C$2.97, with the final push made when IRC.to published its news release promoting the Pascua Lama link late Thursday.

Click here to read more about the INK Weekly or to sign up now!

Marc Faber on Gold Explorers

Marc Faber on Gold Futures and a possible Bear Market Rally

Analysis and discussion with Marc Faber Editor and Publisher of the Gloom, Boom, and Doom Report. He is advising investors to buy gold in 2001 before it tripled, he is now advising investors to buy gold explorers. He also says that he expects a rally in stocks to start some time in the near future, and that a weakening dollar will be a good sign to look out for.

Soros Says Financial Crisis Marks End of a Free-Market Model -- Bloomberg

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor George Soros said the current economic crisis has its roots in the financial deregulation of the 1980s and marks the end of a free-market model that has since dominated capitalist countries.

Liberalization of the financial industry begun by the Reagan administration has led to a series of breakdowns forcing government intervention, Soros told economists and bankers last night at a private dinner at Columbia University in New York. The global recession, triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing market, has “damaged the financial system itself,” he said.

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Click here to access the full article from Bloomberg