Cyberattacks Seem Meant to Destroy, Not Just Disrupt

American Express customers trying to gain access to their online accounts Thursday were met with blank screens or an ominous ancient type face.

IMF 'has confidence' in Christine Lagarde

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it continues to have "confidence" in its managing director Christine Lagarde.

EU to monitor Cyprus capital controls closely Story Comments

BRUSSELS: The European Commission said Thursday that it will closely monitor capital controls introduced by Cyprus as the newly-bailed out country prepares to re-open its banks after nearly two weeks.

Bank of England tells banks to raise £25bn

Major UK banks must raise a total of £25bn in extra capital by the end of 2013 to guard against potential losses, the Bank of England (BoE) has said.

China misses out on global stocks rally

Worries over attempts to contain runaway housing prices and the pace of growth in the world's second biggest economy have left benchmark indices lagging other exchanges.

US urges EU action to overcome Iran sanctions court appeals

BRUSSELS: The United States is concerned Iranian appeals to European courts could loosen sanctions against Tehran, said a State Department official on Monday who urged the EU to urgently find a way to allow judges to examine secret intelligence evidence.

Emerging nations risk Cyprus contagion: World Bank

BEIJING: Developing nations must be ready for a financial market selloff if the Cypriot banking sector collapses, World Bank Managing Director Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Sunday, urging a swift resolution to the crisis in Cyprus.

Special Report: Inside Putin's central bank surprise

MOSCOW (Reuters) - "It will be a surprise - you'll like it," President Vladimir Putin said with a smile when asked whether he had decided who should be next head of Russia's central bank.

US officials say China 'cooperative' on N Korea sanctions

BEIJING: US officials involved in enforcing international sanctions against North Korea expressed optimism Friday that China was willing to cooperate to disrupt financing for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

Cyprus races to avoid financial collapse

Politicians in Cyprus and European officials were engaged in emergency talks Wednesday to head off the financial collapse of the beleaguered island nation.

Bank of England remains split 6-3 on asset purchases in March

LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England is worried about further sterling weakness and remains at an impasse over providing more support for Britain's stagnant economy, minutes of its March 6-7 policy meeting showed on Wednesday.

Nigeria seen holding rates to support naira

JOHANNESBURG/LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's central bank looks set to hold interest rates steady for the ninth time in a row on Tuesday, as it weighs falling inflation versus stronger economic growth and a weaker currency, analysts said.

Euro Finance Ministers Grant Ireland, Portugal Eased Debt Terms

Euro-area finance ministers agreed to extend maturities on rescue loans to Ireland and Portugal, easing the terms on two recipients of European bailout aid in a show of support for their commitment to austerity.

Iran's March crude exports to fall to lowest since sanctions kicked in-sources

TOKYO/SINGAPORE: Iran's crude oil exports in March may plunge by a quarter from a month earlier to the lowest since tight Western sanctions came into effect in 2012, industry sources said, squeezing income for Tehran as sanctions cast doubt over its future revenues.

Japan to Join Pacific Trade Talks as Abe Defies Key Voting Bloc

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will join negotiations on an American-led regional trade accord opposed by some of his core supporters as he seeks to boost growth and strengthen ties with the U.S.

IMF chief to join eurozone talks on Cyprus bailout

WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde will attend a eurozone finance ministers' meeting Friday to discuss a potential bailout for Cyprus, an IMF spokesman said Thursday.

Euro zone meets on Friday to discuss Cyprus deal

BRUSSELS: The euro zone's 17 finance ministers will meet on Friday in Brussels after an EU leaders' summit to discuss a financial bailout of Cyprus, officials said on Wednesday, signalling growing momentum for a deal.

Greece 'directly' affected by Cyprus crisis: PM

ATHENS: Economic problems in Cyprus "directly" affect struggling Greece and the traditional allies will coordinate policies ahead of a European eurozone summit later this week, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Monday.

Italians say no to referendum on euro membership: poll

(Reuters) - A large majority of Italians are in favor of staying in the euro zone and are also against holding a referendum on membership, an opinion poll in Corriere della Sera newspaper showed on Sunday.

Analysis: U.S. concern on China currency fades as yuan grinds higher

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After years of grabbing the spotlight in U.S.-China economic relations, U.S. concerns over the value of Beijing's currency appear to be fading, giving ground to newer issues like cyber-security and trade secret theft.

Obama admin sets in motion a global round of trade talks

WASHINGTON: Faced with sluggish jobs growth and failure of the Doha round, the Obama Administration has set in motion an ambitious global round of trade talks covering Europe and much of Asia, which is bound to influence countries like China, India and Brazil, say a media report.

Sudan, South Sudan in fresh talks to set up buffer zone

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan resumed stalled talks on Friday aimed at setting up a demilitarized border zone along their porous border, an official said, in a fresh bid to settle a long-standing dispute over oil and land.

EU not ready for sanctions against Hezbollah: EU's Barroso

(Reuters) - The European Union will consider imposing sanctions on the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah but does not yet have sufficient evidence of its activities in Europe to make a decision, the European Commission said on Thursday.

Afghan court sentences Kabul Bank execs to 5 years

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan tribunal sentenced two top executives to five years in prison Tuesday for misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars from the nation's largest bank in a scandal that caused it to fail and threatened the country's fragile economy.

US budget impasse weighs on markets

LONDON (AP) — Uncertainty over a budget battle in Washington and the stability of China's housing market pushed world stock markets lower on Monday.

Banks withdraw £1.88bn from economy, offsets rise in lending

Britain's banks and building societies drew £13.8bn from the state-backed Funding for Lending cheap credit scheme (FLS) in its first five months of operation, but cut loans to households and businesses by almost £2bn.

Kerry urges 'compromise' in Egypt, pledges $250 mn in aid

CAIRO: US Secretary of State John Kerry told Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday to work harder to bridge the political divide in the country, as he pledged an initial $250 million in US aid for Egypt.

Euro bailout fund may not extend to banks, says ESM head

BERLIN: Deep reservations in some European states about using the euro zone's bailout fund for bank recapitalisation could ultimately mean the plan is abandoned, the head of the fund said.

The big US budget cuts: Will the bite match the bark?

WASHINGTON: Delays of four hours or more at airports. Exasperating wait times for people, and goods, crossing America's borders. Reduced paychecks for thousands of civilians employed by the Pentagon.

Iran sanctions could distort region's economy for years: Report

LONDON: Sanctions on Iran are so intricately woven that they will be very hard to untangle, while their impact in swelling Iran's black economy could undermine regional stability for years to come, the International Crisis Group says in a new report.