China's corporate debt 160 of GDP twice US level

HONG KONG: Beijing may have averted a crisis in its stock markets with heavy-handed intervention but the world's biggest corporate debt pile 16.1 trillion and rising is a much greater threat to its slowing economy and will not be so easily managed.

Dollar Drop Deepens as Sluggish Inflation Brings on Bearish Mood

Dollar bulls reeling from the longest losing streak in 19 months face further pain. U.S. inflation -- or rather the lack of it -- is back in the spotlight before monthly data and minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting that may show limits to the central bank’s tolerance for sluggish price gains.

Gold Advances to Week-High as U.S. Jobs Data Clouds Rate Outlook

Gold climbed for a second day after data showing the weakest pace of U.S. hiring in more than a year clouded the outlook for interest-rate increases.

Interest rates can stay low for longer, says Bank of England deputy chief

The Bank of England can afford to keep interest rates low for longer than previously thought, deputy governor Jon Cunliffe has said, in comments that will reinforce the market view that rates will remain at 0.5% until at least the middle of next year.

Bank of England's method of setting interest rates needs reviewing

Mark Carney has some explaining to do on Wednesday. Last August, the governor of the Bank of England announced the arrival of a shiny new model for setting interest rates in the UK.

Ukraine Default Swaps Jump to Four-Year High as Russia Backs Off

The cost of insuring Ukrainian government bonds increased to the highest level in four years as Russia cast doubt on imminent assistance for its neighbor.

U.S. May Join Germany of 1933 in Pantheon of Defaults

Reneging on its debt obligations would make the U.S. the first major Western government to default since Nazi Germany 80 years ago.

Draghi Said to Ask ECB Panel to Weigh Liquidity Options

Mario Draghi has asked a European Central Bank panel to study options for new bank funding measures, as policy makers try to figure out how to deal with any future liquidity shortages, two euro-region central bank officials said.

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.

Romania Unexpectedly Speeds Up Rate Cuts to Record-Low 4.5%

Romania cut its main interest rate more than economists forecast and central bank Governor Mugur Isarescu indicated further easing, a sign policy makers are growing more confident of meeting their inflation target.

Federal Reserve stops short of the clarity global markets crave

LONDON: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke now knows why uncharted waters on mariners' charts used to be marked 'Here be Dragons'.

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.

Bernanke signals continued support for low rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's low interest-rate policies are giving key support to an economy still burdened by high unemployment, Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Tuesday.

Fed survey: US economy picked up at end of year

WASHINGTON (AP) — Holiday shopping, strong auto sales and a recovering housing market helped boost the U.S. economy from the middle of November through early January, according to a Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday.

Fitch warns France could be downgraded next year

(Reuters) - Fitch Ratings could strip France of its triple-A credit status next year if the country fails to meet its targets on debt reduction and its economy performs worse than forecast, one of the agency's top sovereign experts warned on Wednesday.

Hungary says EU cut in its funds would be a shame

(Reuters) - The European Union risks undermining the credibility of its drive against national budget overshoots if it strips Hungary of structural funds as punishment for running an excessive deficit, a leader of the ruling Fidesz party said.

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.

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.

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.

Fed's Fisher says U.S. "drowning in unemployment"

RICHARDSON, Texas (Reuters) - The United States is "drowning in unemployment," its economy is running at stall speed and inflation is "not a problem," but easier monetary policy is not the answer, one of the Federal Reserve's most hawkish policymakers said on Friday.