Hidden hazards could slow global economic growth

[mandy]

...six reasons, from oil prices to bird flu, why growth cannot be taken for granted

Things are going swimmingly - but watch out for sharks. That was the message from the International Monetary Fund's health check of the global economy this week, as finance ministers and central bankers gathered in Singapore for their twice-yearly chin-wag. IMF experts raised their forecast for world growth next year, and announced that we are in the midst of the rosiest period since the 1970s; but at the same time, they pointed out a series of hidden hazards, any of which could endanger the upbeat economic mood of the last few years.

What if inflation is back?...
What if oil prices go up - again ?...
What if the US housing market slowdown turns into a crash?...
What if investors are no longer willing to bankroll America's spend-now-pay-later economy?...
How vulnerable is the global economy to a political crisis?...
What if anger about job losses creates a political backlash?...

full article: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/...95,00.html