German inflation at lowest in three and a half years, raising pressure on ECB

(Reuters) - German annual inflation eased to its lowest level in 3-1/2 years in February, data showed on Thursday, underlining deflation fears and raising pressure on the European Central Bank to act.

Economy probably grew 4.9 percent in December quarter

BANGALORE (Reuters) - India's economic growth likely slowed to a near decade-low at the end of last year as high interest rates hit factory activity, according to economists polled by Reuters who don't expect a pickup in investment before May elections.

Bank of England could raise interest rates next spring, says MPC member

A Bank of England policymaker has reinforced expectations that the first rise in interest rates will come as soon as next spring, in remarks that pushed up the pound.

Yellen Wins G-20 Praise as Emerging Markets’ Angst Eased

The world’s major economies pledged to maintain generally accommodative policies and pay heed to the international repercussions of their actions as Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen won praise for helping smooth emerging-market concerns.

G-20 vows to boost world economy by $2 trillion

SYDNEY (AP) - Finance chiefs from the 20 largest economies agreed Sunday to implement policies that will boost world GDP by more than $2 trillion over the coming five years.

Australia, India to push for IMF quota reforms at G20

Australia on Thursday said it will ‘actively lobby’ with the US to push through the International Monetary Fund quota reforms seeking to providing more voice to the developing countries.

G-20 Pushes Growth as Stimulus Withdrawal Backed, Draft Says

The Group of 20 will take “concrete actions” to bolster growth while backing the normalization of monetary policy in advanced economies, according to a draft communique seen by Bloomberg News.

IMF, Britain warn emerging economies ahead of G20 talks

SYDNEY: IMF chief Christine Lagarde and British finance minister George Osborne on Thursday demanded emerging economies get their own houses in order, after some attacked US monetary policy in the run-up to G20 talks this weekend.

Australia Pushes Infrastructure as G-20 Growth Driver: Economy

Australia’s bid to sell state-owned infrastructure to help fund new projects will form a centerpiece of its Group of 20 agenda as the nation bets its plan to spur jobs is as relevant in Moscow, Mumbai and Michigan as it is in Melbourne.

All G20 members have role in softening volatility: Canada official

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Advanced economies must explain their monetary policy approach clearly to the rest of the world and some emerging economies need to strengthen policies in order to soften the financial market volatility during this unprecedented period of transition, a senior Canadian finance official said on Monday.

Employment growth rate to slow slightly, says survey

The recent fast growth in employment is likely to slow in the coming months, the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) has said.

Italy’s Credit-Rating Outlook Raised to Stable by Moody’s

Italy’s credit rating outlook was raised to stable from negative by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited the government’s financial strength and reduction of risks from contingent liabilities.

U.S. sees emerging market woes as focal point at G20

(Reuters) - Economic policymakers from the world's biggest economies will focus on recent financial market turbulence when they meet next week in Sydney, a senior official at the U.S.

Most firms back EU trade rules, government report suggests

Most businesses feel European Union rules ensuring the freedom to trade goods with other members are "beneficial to the national interest", a government report suggests.

Australia jobless rate hits decade high, sinks A$

(Reuters) - Australia's jobless rate unexpectedly jumped to a decade high in January, intensifying concerns about the future of the manufacturing sector as global carmakers prepare to pull out.

The debt ceiling crisis that ended with a whimper

The US Congress has agreed to raise the debt ceiling until March 2015, averting another crisis that almost four months ago threatened to trigger a default on US debt and plunge the global financial markets into chaos.

Excess euro zone liquidity seen near current levels at end of first-quarter: poll

(Reuters) - Excess liquidity in the euro zone will be near current levels at the end of this quarter as banks slow repayments of their crisis loans, according to a firm majority of traders in a Reuters poll.

Scottish independence: 'Economy matters most' to voters

The economy is the issue that matters most to voters taking part in the independence referendum, a poll carried out for the BBC has suggested.

As U.S. hits debt limit, business group urges Congress to raise it

WASHINGTON -- As the U.S. hit its debt limit on Friday, a leading business group urged Congress to act quickly to raise it to avoid damaging the economy.

German industrial output data dives in December

FRANKFURT: German industrial production shrank in December, hit by falling activity in the manufacturing and energy sectors, data showed on Friday, but analysts insisted the overall uptrend remains intact.

Jobs data improves, but weak exports may hurt growth

(Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, in a boost to the labor market outlook and the broader economy.

Carney Seeks to Maintain Low-Rate Outlook as Economy Gains

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and his colleagues are debating how they can reflect the strength of the U.K. economy in their forecasts without suggesting that interest rates are about to go up.

Puerto Rico's credit rating cut to junk by S&P

Standard & Poor's announced Tuesday that it had cut Puerto Rico's credit rating to junk, as the island's government struggles to get its finances in order. Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, faces $70 billion in debt and has been teetering on the edge of default in recent months.

Spain's jobless up in January, but rate of rise slows

(Reuters) - The number of registered jobless in Spain rose in January for the first time since October, data showed, as the labor-heavy service sector shed workers following a busy Christmas holiday season.

Jack Lew: US could default on debt by 'end of month'

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has warned the US may default on its debt by the end of the month if Congress does not raise its borrowing limit.

A Leader Shows Vulnerability in Turkey’s Cash Crisis

ISTANBUL — First, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the bold move by Turkey’s central bank this week to raise interest rates sharply to halt the decline in the country’s currency, telling reporters that higher borrowing costs would lead to inflation — an argument that contravenes accepted economic logic.

IMF Calls on Emerging Markets to Bolster Economic Fundamentals

The International Monetary Fund said some developing countries need to take action to “improve fundamentals” as emerging-market stocks extended their worst start to a year since 2008.

Euro zone morale climbs as recovery strengthens

(Reuters) - Optimism in the euro zone about its economic prospects continued to improve in January with a jump in morale in the bloc's two largest economies, Germany and France.