Iran pulls back from nuclear bomb goal: Israeli defense minister

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran has drawn back from its ambitions to build a nuclear weapon, Israel's defense minister was quoted as saying on Tuesday, while warning that his country may still have to decide next year whether to launch a military strike against it.

UK consumer lending hits 4-year high

Lending to UK consumers rose at the fastest pace in four and a half years in September and mortgage approvals hit a four-month high, according to official data.

Mario Draghi backs Wolfgang Schaeuble's 'super commissioner' plan

The head of the European Central Bank has thrown his weight behind a German scheme to allow the EU to intervene in countries' budgets and propose changes before they are agreed in parliaments.

Greek opposition rejects new cuts but won't force poll

PARIS (Reuters) - Greece's opposition leader denounced international lenders' demands as dealing the "final blow" to a devastated economy but said on Friday he would not seek to bring down the government.

Germany not immune to eurozone slowdown

Germany is not immune to the contraction in the eurozone, as the European Central Bank's Mario Draghi defends bond-buying and Greece claims an austerity victory.

Canadian retail sales disappoint in August

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian retail sales rose less than expected in August from July while volume fell, suggesting debt-laden consumers will provide only limited support to broader economic growth in the third quarter.

German economy may stagnate as crisis drags on powerhouse

The German economy could grind to a standstill by the end of the year amid the combined impact of the debt crisis and the global slowdown, the Bundesbank has warned.

Why debt is a threat to national security

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The national debt is not on the official agenda for Monday's presidential debate on foreign policy.

Britain seems to be saying "bye bye" to EU, says Finland

(Reuters) - Britain's policy towards Europe is becoming harder to understand and there is a sense the country is slowly waving goodbye to the European Union, Finland's Europe minister said on Thursday.

Economy starting to stabilise: China's Wen Jiabao

BEIJING: China's Premier Wen Jiabao said the economy began stabilising in the past three months and should meet 2012 targets, state media said Wednesday, a day before third-quarter growth data are released.

Samaras Faces Coalition Revolt Over Lenders’ Demands

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras faces a growing revolt from his coalition partners as representatives of the country’s lenders press for more changes to the country’s labor market as a condition for releasing further bailout funds.

Iran: New EU sanctions 'inhuman' and ineffective

TEHRAN: Iran on Tuesday denounced the new European Union sanctions as ``inhuman,'' vowing they will not force any retreat on the country's suspect nuclear program.

Fed's Williams says U.S. must get fiscal house in order

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The United States must trim the deficit and control the national debt, but take care not to jeopardize the recovery by moving too fast or cutting critical areas of government spending, a top Federal Reserve official said on Monday.

Greece under pressure to bolster cuts for debt deal: Official

ATHENS: Greece was under pressure from international creditors to beef up a controversial austerity package in return for loan relief, officials said as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said a deal was in sight.

Singapore economy contracts 1.5% but avoids recession

Singapore's economy contracted in the July to September period, but has narrowly avoided a technical recession.

Europe accuses U.S. of failing to cut Boeing aid

(Reuters) - The European Union accused the United States on Thursday of ignoring a World Trade Organization ruling to stop subsidies to planemaker Boeing (BA.N) and asked the Geneva-based body to investigate, prolonging the world's largest trade dispute.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde urges eurozone and US action to end 'terrifying and unacceptable' jobless rates

Christine Lagarde has called for decisive action from world leaders to end uncertainties in the global economy that are prolonging “terrifying and unacceptable” levels of unemployment.

Finance leaders to address global economic threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — When global finance ministers meet this week in Tokyo, they'll confront a triple challenge: Economic troubles in three major regions are threatening the world's economy.

China Q3 GDP growth seen slowing for 7th straight quarter

BEIJING: China's annual economic growth probably slowed for a seventh straight quarter in the July-September period to the weakest level since the depths of the global financial crisis, a Reuters poll showed, reinforcing the case for further policy stimulus.

Iran government likely to win battle of wills over currency

DUBAI: A battle of wills between Iran's government and foreign exchange traders may end with authorities taking over all legal trade in the rial, leaving many Iranians to seek hard currency illegally in a poorly supplied black market.

Euro zone recovery to take years: ECB's Coeure

FRANKFURT: The euro zone economy will not operate at its full potential again for many years, but will emerge stronger, European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said in an interview published on Saturday.

Boost for Obama as US jobless rate falls to four-year low

The US unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in almost four years, giving President Barack Obama a boost as the presidential race enters its final month.

South Korea resumes Iranian oil imports: Report

SEOUL: South Korea has resumed imports of Iranian crude oil after halting them in July due to Western sanctions targeting Tehran's nuclear programme, a report said today.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel to harden her stance on additional help for Greece and Spain

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hardening her stance on additional help for struggling euro zone economies like Greece and Spain as pressure from parliamentary allies and a looming election campaign shrink her room for manoeuvre in Europe.

China services industry slows as economy cools

China’s services sector last month grew at its weakest pace since at least March 2011, raising fears over an economic slowdown that officials are struggling to manage.

World Bank Sees Long Crisis Effect

WASHINGTON—The European debt crisis could weigh on the world economy for years, forcing policy makers to rethink their approaches to restoring growth and boosting job creation, the World Bank's new chief economist said in an interview Monday.

Iran's rial hits an all-time-low against the US dollar

Iran's currency, the rial, fell as much as 18% on Monday to a record low against the US dollar, according to media reports.

China's Economy Signals Continued Contraction in Manufacturing

BEIJING—A gauge of manufacturing activity in China rose slightly in September but remained in contractionary territory for the 11th consecutive month, indicating that the world's second-largest economy is still slowing.