World Economy

  • Switzerland’s notorious Swiss franc crisis, which rocked markets one year ago and sent the currency spiking, could return to haunt traders, some analysts warn.

    The nation’s central bank…

  • After the debt crisis of the 1980s, seeking aid from the International Monetary Fund had about as much appeal to Latin American nations as a root canal, NewsNow reported. The plunge in commodity…

  • The Austrian economy has grown 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2015, taking total GDP growth for the year to 0.9%, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research announced in a flash calculation on…

  • For the first time in almost a decade, China has lost ground in catching up with the US economy, when output is measured in dollars. US gross domestic product increased $590 billion in 2015 from a…

  • France’s economy remains lackluster. Growth for the final three months of last year was 0.2% slightly down from the previous quarter’s 0.3%.

    Official statistics released Saturday…

  • As the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus celebrate the 25th anniversary of their independence, structural reform has become critical.

  • The only question now is whether Venezuela’s government or economy will completely collapse first.

  • Puerto Rico presented a plan to creditors that asks them to take a deep discount on their debt–an aggregate around 45%, two sources familiar with the situation said, Reuters reported. The plan…

  • In a bold move the Bank of Japan has unexpectedly cut a benchmark interest rate below zero to try to stimulate the economy. That means commercial banks will have to pay to keep their…

  • Argentina announced an end to subsidies on electricity bills, and officials said the move will save the government $4 billion this year.

    Authorities declined to estimate how much consumers…

  • Consumer spending grew last year by the most since 2005, in spite of a slight slackening in the fourth quarter. Nonresidential business investment, meanwhile, rose at its slowest pace since 2010…

  • Eighty Swiss banks have agreed to pay the US fines totaling $1.36 billion in order to avoid court prosecution, according to the US Justice Department, RT reported. After the investigation has been…

  • Standard and Poor’s cut the rating of oil-dependent Azerbaijan into speculative or “junk” territory as plunging crude prices and a weak currency are expected to push it…

  • Switzerland's chief prosecutor said, a criminal investigation into state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad had revealed that about $4 billion appeared to have been misappropriated from Malaysian…

  • Italian banks are in trouble, burdened by an estimated 200 billion euros’ worth of non-performing loans. Now bank balance sheets are to be cleaned up. But will that be enough to restart Italy’s…

  • The International Monetary Fund has urged Bahrain to take ‘sizable’ steps to reduce its growing budget deficit as slumping oil prices have sharply reduced exports and government revenues.

  • US economic growth braked sharply in the fourth quarter as businesses stepped up efforts to reduce an inventory glut and a strong dollar and tepid global demand weighed on exports.

  • Last year wasn’t great for Switzerland’s luxury watchmakers, and 2016 isn’t looking any better.

  • Kazakhstan has no plans to seek International Monetary Fund financing despite a drop in government revenues caused by the oil price crash, the economy minister, Yerbolat Dosayev, said on Friday,…

  • Domestic consumption in Germany has reached levels not seen in over two decades. Undeterred by terrorism fears or unease over the refugee influx, shoppers are driving Europe’s largest economy more…

  • A Singapore court has fined a shipping company nearly $127,000 for wiring money used to transport fighter jets and surface-to-air missile systems from Cuba to North Korea in 2013 in violation of…

  • Russia kept its interest rate steady on Friday but announced it wouldn’t rule out tightening monetary policy if inflation risks rise, after a month in which the ruble dropped to record lows as oil…

  • The Bank of Japan unexpectedly cut a benchmark interest rate below zero on Friday, stunning investors with another bold move to stimulate the economy as volatile markets and slowing global growth…

  • Chinese shares closed sharply higher on Friday, recovering some of the week’s losses, but still recorded their biggest monthly fall in about seven years, which has knocked 12 trillion yuan ($1.8…

  • After an encouraging third quarter, Mexico’s economy lost steam again as the weak peso failed to give a much hoped for boost to the country’s manufacturing sector and as the energy sector remains…