China central bank injects funds, eases fears of repeat cash crunch

SHANGHAI: China's central bank injected funds into money markets via open market operations on Tuesday for the first time since February, easing fears of another cash crunch ahead of the month end after a severe cash squeeze in June caused market panic.

Japan's PM Shinzo Abe may rethink tax hike; could shake markets, unsettle support

TOKYO: Japan's most significant fiscal reform in years - a planned increase in the country's sales tax - could be delayed or watered down in a move that might rattle financial markets and ultimately undermine support for the prime minister.

Improving economy gives ECB breathing space on rates

FRANKFURT: An apparent improvement in the eurozone economy will allow the European Central Bank to hold its fire on interest rates for the time being at its meeting this week, analysts said.

Obama says choices now will govern future economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Washington's top priority must be to reverse trends like economic inequality, weakened middle-class security and global competition.

Euro zone lenders approve Greek aid tranche, payment on Mon: Sources

BERLIN/ATHENS: Officials working for euro zone finance ministers signed off on the payment of the next batch of aid for Greece on Friday and the money will be disbursed on the approval of member states on Monday, euro zone officials said.

A year on, Mario Draghi's 'save the euro' pledge remains untested

FRANKFURT: A year after Mario Draghi vowed to do "whatever it takes" to save the euro, the European Central Bank president can claim to have staved off disaster - but he may have to back up his words with action before long.

Australia tells Britain not to forsake the European Union

(Reuters) - Australia has told Britain it hopes it will remain part of the European Union, becoming the latest country to intervene in an emotive domestic debate that may culminate in a referendum to decide if Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc.

Consumers more confident, less worried about jobs: Survey

LONDON: Global consumer confidence rose in the second quarter with more optimistic perceptions about jobs, personal finances and spending intentions in the United States, China and Japan, a survey shows.

Bundesbank Says German Growth Slows After Strong Second Quarter

The Bundesbank said the German economy, Europe’s largest, is set to slow after a rebound in the second quarter of the year. “Signs of a slowdown in economic growth are increasing” in line with expectations, the Frankfurt-based central bank said in its monthly report today.

China's yuan reform "brave", next targets-land, monopoly, tax: Xinhua

SHANGHAI: China's moves to liberalise its currency have been courageous given the economic risks, and next areas for reform include land policy, state-owned industries and taxation, the official Xinhua news service said in a commentary published on Sunday.

Euro Stability in the Face of Financial Trouble a Sign of Strength?

The euro has suffered through more than its fair share of fundamental threats through the past weeks; and yet, the currency has managed to maintain an impressive strength.

China's test; controlled slowdown or unemployment nightmare

BEIJING: The success or failure of China's efforts to revamp its giant economy may rest with workers like Hu Zhao and Deng Jindong.

Factory, labor market data offer bright sign for US economy

WASHINGTON: New claims for U.S. jobless benefits fell last week and factory activity picked up in the Mid-Atlantic region in early July, signs of a stronger economy that could help push the Federal Reserve to ease its monetary stimulus.

Senate approves head of Ex-Im Bank for second term

(Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday voted 82-17 to approve Fred Hochberg for a second term as president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, a move that will allow the government-run lender to keep operating past Saturday, when it faced a possible shutdown.

Lew says delays on rules may mean big bank risk

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says delays in writing rules to put the 2010 financial overhaul law into effect have raised the prospect that big banks could still threaten the financial system's stability.

Inflation shows signs of stability after downward drift

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer prices picked up in June and underlying inflation pressures showed signs of stabilizing, keeping on course expectations the Federal Reserve will start reducing its bond purchases later this year.

Gold's gyrations deter investors even at near three-year lows

LONDON (Reuters) - Investors are awaiting greater stability in gold prices before returning to an asset that has slumped this year, even though concerns over the economic recovery are burnishing the metal's longer-term appeal.

SEC frustrated over pace of U.S. financial crisis reforms

(Reuters) - Top Securities and Exchange Commission officials are frustrated over lack of progress in finalizing rules for credit rating agencies and asset-backed securities (ABS), seen by regulators as major drivers of the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Banks to repay $1.58 bn of ECB crisis loans

FRANKFURT: Banks will return 1.215 billion euros ($1.58 billion) of crisis loans early to the European Central Bank next week, after the central bank assured markets it would keep interest rates low for an extended period.

Bernanke: No economic stability without financial stability

CAMBRIDGE (SES: E1:J91U.SI - news) , Massachusetts (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a speech on the 100-year history of the U.S. central bank that made no direct reference to current monetary policy, said on Wednesday that policymakers have learned the hard way to treat financial stability as a top goal.

Fed buys $13.3 billion of mortgage bonds, sells none

(Reuters) - The Federal Reserve bought $13.3 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities from July 4 through July 11, less than the $16.9 billion it purchased last week, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said on Thursday.

Banking stocks under pressure as weak rupee fade rate cut hopes

NEW DELHI: Banking stocks including Axis Bank, ICICI BankBSE -1.86 %, State Bank of India, HDFC BankBSE -2.54 % and most of the PSU banks slipped over 1 per cent weighed down by a weak rupee which further bleaks the outlook on rate cut hopes by the RBI.

Obama’s Opportunity to Improve U.S. Investment in Africa

Which continent is home to six of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies and is projected to grow by 5 percent in 2013, more than twice the U.S. rate? And which one gets only 1 percent of U.S. foreign direct investment?

China says banks to help wind down overcapacity

BEIJING: China's government vowed on Friday to harness its financial sector to help bring about an orderly closing of some factories in industries plagued by overcapacity, as it seeks to move the economy up the value chain.

Investors flee commodities in June as Fed signals end to stimulus

LONDON: Investors sold out of commodity exchange-traded products (ETPs) in June after the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled it would wind down its economic stimulus programme, pushing up real interest rates and making gold less attractive.

Stocks rally on European central banks' comments

AMSTERDAM (AP) -- World stocks shrugged off worries over political turmoil in Egypt and rallied strongly Thursday on optimism that easy monetary policy from central banks in Europe is set to continue for some time to come. U.S. markets were closed for Independence Day.

EU to start trade talks with US despite scandal

BRUSSELS: The European Union confirmed Tuesday that free-trade negotiations with the United States should kick off as planned next week, despite widespread concerns over the alleged eavesdropping of EU diplomats.

Analysis: Euro zone survival? Depends on where you work

(Reuters) - Three years into an unresolved euro zone crisis, Reuters polls show a marked split on the future depending on whether forecasters are based inside or outside the currency bloc.

UK voters want chancellor to act now to boost economy

The chancellor is content to let the economy recover at its own pace, without further intervention from the government, but voters want him to boost growth.

Exclusive: Somalia Central Bank a 'slush fund' for private payments - U.N.

(Reuters) - Money at the Central Bank of Somalia is not used to run government institutions in the war-torn Horn of Africa country, with an average 80 percent of withdrawals made for private purposes, according to a U.N. report seen by Reuters on Monday.