Chinese economic data highlight slowdown _ Q&A

BEIJING (AP) -- China's latest economic data point to a deepening slowdown that is adding to pressure on communist leaders to revive growth and avert job losses and political tensions....

Submitted by Eric Sprott, Etienne Bordeleau, and David Franklin of Sprott Group,

SEOUL/BRUSSELS — ArcelorMittal, the world’s biggest steelmaker, will sell a 15% stake in one of its Canadian iron ore operations, raising US$1.1 billion to help pay off debt at a time of sluggish demand. The group, which makes about 6-7% of the world’s steel, will sell the stake in ArcelorMittal Mines Canada to a consortium including South Korean steelmaker POSCO and Taiwan-listed China Steel, it said on Wednesday.

That China openly manipulates its economic data, especially around key political phase shifts, such as one communist regime taking over for another, is no secret.

HOUSTON CHRONICLE -- "A new report that predictably found huge potential natural gas supplies in the U.S. also contained news its own writers found surprising - that oil is more abundant than they thought. 

By Katchum:Today we are concerned about peak oil because global demand in oil and gas is increasing 3% a year, while production is decreasing 3% a year. There have been tensions with Iran trying to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which will affect 35% of seaborne traded oil.

By Brooks McFeely:NYSE Composite down 0.74% Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.52% S&P 500 down 0.30% Nasdaq Composite down 0.14% GLOBAL SENTIMENT