6 Hot Links and Charts for Monday

Here are some of the things I find interesting this morning.

1. India's gold imports rise in March
The gold import in India surged nearly 50 tones in March, amid the RBI’s import restrictions. Meantime, the RBI Governor, Mr. Raghuram Rajan hinted on the further relaxation of the gold import curbs today despite the increased gold import flow seen recently.

2. Former Treasury Official: The Fed Has No Integrity on Gold
Almost every week it is possible to illustrate the appearance of a large number of contracts shorting gold at times of day when trading is thin. The short-selling triggers stop-loss orders and margin calls and hammers down the gold price. The Fed has resorted to this practice in order to protect the value of the US dollar from Quantitative Easing.

In order for the Fed to effectively support the reserve status of the U.S. dollar by pushing it higher when it starts to drop, the Fed has also to prevent the price of gold from rising. Intervention in the gold market has been occurring for a long time. However, in the last several years the intervention has become blatant and desperate, as rising concerns about the dollar are causing countries such as China and Russia to accumulate fewer dollars and more gold.

Read the rest.

3. How much oil is produced in each tightoil play in the US?

4. Russia Makes New Move into Eastern Ukraine
Pro-Russia activists occupying a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, on Monday proclaimed the creation of a separatist Donetsk republic, a Reuters witness said.

Sean's note: Read my column from last week explaining why the Russians would move into Eastern Ukraine. Hint: Oil, gas and coal.

5. The First 5 Things You Should Do When You Get a New Computer
Here are a few things you should do whenever you buy a new PC. Most people don't do 'em. Do you?

6. April 7 is National Beer Day!

Treat yourself. And have a great Monday.