Nuclear Iran would 'choke' world economy: Israel PM

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would control the major Gulf oil producers, send energy prices soaring, and "choke" the global economy.

HSBC to refocus on Asia as £14bn profit looms

The London-based bank is set to say at its annual results that it will focus its efforts on growing economies such as China at the same time as maintaining its market share in lower growth Western economies such as the UK.

World Bank chief says U.S. should lead some global bodies

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A solid U.S. candidate to head the World Bank would be good for the United States and the bank because the world's largest economy should be represented in top international bodies, outgoing President Robert Zoellick said on Saturday, while emphasizing he has no role in the selection process.

Larger EU firewall needed before more IMF funds: US

WASHINGTON: Europe must build a "credible" firewall to contain the financial crisis before the United States and other countries agree to boost IMF intervention resources, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Friday.

UK to narrowly escape recession, European commission forecasts

The UK will narrowly escape recession in the first half of this year as Europe as a whole stagnates and the eurozone suffers a short-lived, "mild" contraction, according to the latest forecasts from Brussels.

Youths show economic frustration in streets around the world

After the Great Recession swept through the global economy and crushed the job prospects and financial security of millions of young people, thousands took to the streets in the past year from Cairo and Moscow to Washington and Wall Street to demand a new economic and political order.

US, Britain urge Israel not to attack Iran

JERUSALEM: The US and Britain have urged Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear program and the White House's national security adviser arrived in the region, reflecting growing international jitters that the Israelis are poised to strike.

France's far-right Le Pen returns to roots with halal claims

LILLE, France (Reuters) - French far right leader Marine Le Pen switched her presidential campaign back to immigration, claiming all meat in Paris was halal, as she tries to head off President Nicolas Sarkozy's attempts to lure her supporters.

Global clearinghouse ready to evict Iranian banks

BRUSSELS (AP) — A financial clearinghouse used by virtually every country and major corporation in the world agreed Friday to shut out Iran from its respected network, an unprecedented escalation of global economic pressure to halt Iran's suspected drive for nuclear weapons.

European industry's dependence grows on the rising wealth of Indians, Brazilians, Russians and Chinese

LONDON: The world's top yoghurt maker Danone now sells half its goods in emerging markets, and from beer to holidays, Europe's consumer industry depends ever more heavily on the rising wealth of Brazilians, Russians, Indians and Chinese.

Security vs. Reconciliation: The Afghan Conundrum

After eleven years of war, the Taliban’s public declaration that they will hold talks with the United States in Qatar is a major breakthrough for the political process, for Afghanistan’s internal stability, and for progress toward relative peace that will be needed by the US and NATO in 2014 before they can exit Afghanistan in good order and without too much further bloodshed.

How to Swap the Obama Budget for an Optimistic Economic Growth Agenda

New spending in President Obama’s $3.8 trillion fiscal year 2013 budget would increase investments in education, manufacturing and R&D, transportation projects, electric vehicle incentives and the like.

UN Security Council visits Haiti to review mandate

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The U.N. Security Council began a four-day mission in Haiti on Monday to review the terms of its mandate and evaluate earthquake reconstruction efforts in the Caribbean country.

Low-paid, skilled Indian migrants likely to be hit by new UK immigration laws

The policy speech by UK's immigration minister Damian Green last week has caused a flutter among many Indians, both in India and the United Kingdom (UK).

UK Economy Continued To Contract In Three Months To January-NIESR

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The U.K economy continued to contract in the three months to the end of January and is expected to be flat for the remainder of the year, an independent economic research group said Thursday.

Euro Pares Gain After German Industrial Production

(RTTNews.com) - In the European session on Tuesday, the euro eased against its major counterparts after report showed that Germany's industrial production fell unexpectedly for December.

UN official to fix broken global economy

New York, Feb 8 : The world needs “a global new deal” to break the mould of economic thought that led to the international financial crisis, the head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting trade and development said on Tuesday.

Greek Workers Strike Against New Round of Austerity

ATHENS — Greek workers walked off the job on Tuesday to protest a new barrage of austerity measures being demanded by the country’s foreign creditors in exchange for a second bailout of $170 billion without which Greece faces a potentially catastrophic default within weeks.

United States coming to be seen as threat to global markets

The United States is coming to be seen as a global threat, acting unilaterally with aggressive new market rules that critics say will hurt US firms, foreign banks, and international markets in one swoop.

Global leaders worried Israel may attack Iran

JERUSALEM — For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, world leaders say they are seriously concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent.

EU says it may lend Egypt up to 500 mln euros

CAIRO (Reuters) - The European Union may be prepared to lend Egypt up to 500 million euros to help it finance a budget deficit provided it successfully concludes a financial assistance agreement with the IMF, an EU official said on Wednesday.

Iran's economy to grow despite sanctions: Ahmadinejad

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted on Wednesday that Iran's economy would grow eight percent over the next 12 months despite severe Western sanctions, as he presented his government's annual budget to parliament.

Global "great power politics" returns to Mideast

LONDON (Reuters) - With Russia sending warships to discourage foreign intervention in Syria, and China drawn more deeply into Iran's confrontation with the West, "great power" politics is swiftly returning to the Middle East.