World Bank removes Iran from list of non-payers

The World Bank removed Iran from its list of deadbeat borrowers Friday, saying the Islamic Republic had paid outstanding loan amounts.

U.N. Could Agree on Syria Chemicals Resolution by Friday

American officials expressed great optimism Thursday night following a high-level meeting at the United Nations headquarters to begin the process of disarming the Bashar Assad regime of its chemical weapons stockpiles.

George Osborne concedes Help to Buy could artificially inflate house prices

George Osborne has conceded that his £130bn Help-to-Buy lending scheme could artificially inflate the housing market after he asked the Bank of England to monitor the initiative's effect on property prices two years earlier than scheduled.

No clear path to ending U.S. debt limit, spending impasse

(Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday refused to give in to President Barack Obama's demand for straightforward bills to run the government beyond September 30 and to increase borrowing authority to avoid a historic default.

The Economist: “The Fed's have-it-both-ways policy”

R.A., regarding Bernanke’s Jackson Hole speech, your column notes that you “found the tone on monetary policy to be confusing and timid.” Expectations now turn to what President Obama will say next week and what the Fed will do (or not do) when they next meet. Uncertainty again prevails.

Alexander Mirtchev

Slow growth inevitable for China, 7% GDP rate the new normal: S&P

NEW DELHI: In its latest report titled 'Slower Growth In China: Inevitable, Necessary, And Now More Palatable.', Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Wednesday said that a 7-7.5% GDP growth rate is a 'new normal' for China.

Concern in Greece over Angela Merkel's win

There has been a worried response in Greece to the win for German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sunday's election.

Before attack, Kenya's economic future was bright

NEW YORK (AP) - Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Mall, site of Saturday's mass shootings where 68 have been reported dead, might as well have been a mall in suburban America.

As U.S. Clears Chinese Pork Deal on Security, Economic Concerns Linger

As U.S. Clears Chinese Pork Deal on Security, Economic Concerns LingerThe powerful U.S. committee that reviewed and cleared the deal focuses almost exclusively on threats to U.S. national security, but some critics say the economic questions are thornier when it comes to major Chinese investments in the U.S.

Dollar Falls to Lowest Since February as Fed Retains Stimulus

The dollar fell to its lowest level since February as markets were whipsawed by Federal Reserve communications on keeping monthly bond purchases unabated depending on the strength of the economy.

Biden's Mexico Trip To Focus On Economy, May Touch On NSA Spying And DEA Killer

While economic issues between the countries will be the centerpiece of the public meeting Friday between Vice President Joe Biden and Mexican leader Enrique Peña Nieto, analysts say that backroom discussion could shift to security issues, the release in Mexico of a convicted DEA killer and allegations of National Security Agency spying.

US economy shows signs of shrugging off higher interest rates

WASHINGTON: US home resales surged in August to a 6-1/2-year high and factories grew busier early this month in the Mid-Atlantic region, signs that rising borrowing costs might be weighing only modestly on the economy.

UK inflation dips as rise in cost of fuel and clothing eases

Inflation eased down to 2.7% in August thanks to smaller price rises for petrol and new autumn fashion ranges but the cost of living continued to outstrip pay rises.

US factory output up 0.7 pc led by strong autos

WASHINGTON: US factories increased output in August by the most in eight months, helped by a robust month at auto plants.

EU spending cuts to hit Portugal's poor

(Reuters) - Spending cuts to European Union food aid programs could leave Portugal's growing ranks of poor with even emptier plates.

Producer Prices in U.S. Rose 0.3% in August on Energy, Food

Wholesale prices in the U.S. rose more than forecast in August, reflecting higher costs for food and some fuels.

Work on financial transaction tax to go on, EU executive says

(Reuters) - The European Commission rebuffed on Saturday an EU legal opinion that questioned the legality of a planned financial transaction tax and said work on the levy in 11 European Union countries would go on.

Dollar Declines for Week Before Fed Considers Stimulus Taper

The dollar had its biggest weekly decline in six weeks as weaker-than-forecast economic data prompted investors to pare bets of an aggressive reduction in monetary stimulus at the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week.

China to be world's 3rd largest natural gas producer in 2035

BEIJING: Energy-hungry China, which currently imports most of its oil and gas, is expected to become the world's third-largest natural gas producer in 2035.

Recession risk gone in all US states but 1: Moody's Analytics

WASHINGTON: All US states except for Delaware have escaped the possibility of falling back into recession, as they reap the rewards of strong private-sector employment and a burgeoning energy sector, according to an analysis released on Tuesday.

Japan Boosts GDP Estimate as Abe Weighs Sales-Tax Increase

Japan’s economy grew faster than previously estimated in the second quarter, aiding Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reflation campaign as he considers whether the nation can withstand a sales-tax increase.

Global credit agencies keep Australia's AAA ratings intact

International credit agencies Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch on Monday reaffirmed Australia's AAA sovereign rating after the conservatives won power, saying they expected little change to the fiscal framework.

China premier calls for "human focus" to urbanisation plan

BEIJING: China's premier, Li Keqiang, wants his plan to turn more Chinese into city dwellers to be "humanity-centred", focusing on quality of life and the environment and driven by job creation, the official China Daily newspaper reported on Sunday.

Recent UK manufacturing growth spurt fails to offset year's earlier falls

A recent rise in manufacturing output failed to override a bad year for Britain's factories, according to official figures on Friday.

Economic Issues Take Back Seat to Syria at G-20 Summit

Though discussion of Syria has been a top discussion topic at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, the top world economic teams have also sought to address the issues at hand while meeting in Russia.

Abe Seen Facing Stock Rout in Case of Suspending Japan Tax Rise

Japanese shares could plunge 10 percent or more if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fails to carry through on a plan to raise a sales tax in April. 

The Global Inflation Wave: Waiting for Constantine?

Source: The Globalist

Alexander Mirtchev and Norman Bailey,

In the wake of the global economic crisis, the world is trying to chart an economic path to the future and find a "new normal." As Alexander Mirtchev and Norman A. Bailey explain in the first installment in their series "The Search for a New Global Equilibrium," inflation as a factor of global economic security has the innate capacity to upend carefully laid plans and further upset the equilibrium.

U.S. economic growth stronger than thought

The U.S. economy grew significantly faster than thought in the second quarter, which may help convince the Federal Reserve to start unwinding its stimulus program sooner rather than later.

Will G-20 Counter Power of Uncertainty?

By Alexander Mirtchev 

In 2009, G-20 leaders met in Pittsburgh and emerged with a mandate ‘to be the premier forum for international economic cooperation,' endowing the G-20 with a leading economic role on the global stage. It appeared at the time that the leaders of the G-20 had successfully defeated pessimism. However, the rising tide of global economic turmoil and problems ranging from sovereign indebtedness to consumption and saving imbalances have created a ‘perfect storm' that is far from abating.

Alexander Mirtchev

As advanced economies grow, emerging ones struggle: OECD

PARIS: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development says that advanced economies are staging a comeback but a slowdown in emerging countries will keep global growth low this year.

The new EU External Energy Policy: an important move - if it is not too late

 By Alexander Mirtchev

  

With the adoption of its new External Energy Policy, the EU has finally made a first step towards its integration as a single negotiating bloc in the world energy market. As such the External Energy Policy could become an important factor in the global energy security picture and a possible geopolitical game-changer. However, it remains to be seen whether the big EU member states will be willing to subordinate their interests to the wider EU interest. The External Energy Policy has probably come five years too late, argues Alexander Mirtchev, President of Krull Corp. and Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.

Italy factory sector expansion accelerates in August: Survey

ROME: Italian manufacturing activity expanded for the second month running in August and at a faster pace than the previous month as new orders and output increased, a survey showed on Monday.

ECB faces balancing act on rates as eurozone recovers

The European Central Bank faces a delicate balancing act at its policy meeting this week as the nascent recovery in the crisis-stricken euro area remains extremely vulnerable to setbacks.

Financial crisis: Is Asia next? Probably not

Why don't we learn from financial crises? As Asian currencies fall and crisis strikes, we seem to be making the same mistakes made in the '90s.