POLITICAL ECONOMY - POLICY DAILY

Rio+20: Race against clock as wrangle heads for overtime

Jun 15, 2012 (AFP)

Talks on a new global charter to protect the environment and eradicate poverty were heading into overtime Friday as officials admitted they faced a battle to se...

Japan April factory output revised down to -0.2%

Jun 14, 2012 (AFP)

Japan on Thursday revised down its factory output data for April, showing a slight contraction that underscored the nation's anaemic factory activity. Industria...

Don't overestimate Germany as euro crisis fighter: Merkel

Jun 14, 2012 (AFP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the eurozone crisis would dominate next week's G20 summit but warned leaders clamouring for her to take ch...

Argentina faces grim economic outlook

Jun 13, 2012 (UPI)

Argentina faces a further economic slowdown as restrictive government economic policies dampen investors' enthusiasm for real estate projects and farmers battle...

EU to fight until 'very last moment' at Rio summit

Jun 13, 2012 (AFP)

The EU will fight to the last for credible commitments at the Rio+20 Earth summit but it will be "very very difficult", the bloc's environment commissioner Jane...

China growth could fall below 7.0% in Q2: report

Jun 13, 2012 (AFP)

China's economic growth could fall below 7.0 percent in the second quarter, state media on Wednesday quoted an economist at an influential government-linked thi...

World Bank warns developing countries over Europe

Jun 12, 2012 (AFP)

The World Bank on Tuesday warned developing countries to boost their defenses against Europe's debt crisis, predicting years of volatility in a flailing global ...

Outside View: EU bailout is no cure

Jun 12, 2012 (UPI)

Pressured by other EU governments, Spain has asked the European Union for $125 billion in aid to bail out its banks. European leaders say this amount well excee...

IMF ties environment to restoring European growth

Jun 12, 2012 (AFP)

IMF chief Christine Lagarde tied saving the environment to restoring growth in Europe, saying Tuesday that green development cannot get going while advanced cou...

Expectations for the Rio Summit, in quotes

Jun 11, 2012 (AFP)

Following is a selection of quotes from politicians, activists, business executives and scientists about expectations for the upcoming Rio Summit. The once-in-a...

Walker's World: The euro's unknowns

Jun 11, 2012 (UPI)

If we escape this year with merely a double-dip recession, we should count ourselves fortunate. The global economy is faltering everywhere at once, with prospec...

China revives key economic reform amid transition

Jun 10, 2012 (AFP)

China's move to allow more competition in its state-dominated banking sector revives a reform shelved for nearly a decade and defies expectations of a policy fr...

China inflation eases, further stimulus 'likely'

Jun 09, 2012 (AFP)

China's inflation eased to 3.0 percent in May as other data released Saturday indicated a slowdown in the world's second largest economy, giving Beijing more ro...

China industrial output grows disappointing 9.6%

Jun 09, 2012 (AFP)

China's industrial output grew at a slower-than-expected 9.6 percent year-on-year in May, a faster clip than the previous month but still near three-year-lows, ...

Japan data point to fragile economic recovery

Jun 08, 2012 (AFP)

Japan's economy grew faster than first thought between January and March, official data showed Friday, but analysts warned of a slowdown caused by a strong yen,...

Argentina data point to creeping recession

Jun 07, 2012 (UPI)

Argentina's continuing troubles with commodity exports, falling exports of other raw materials, automobiles and other industrial goods are pushing the country t...

China cuts interest rates as economy slows

Jun 07, 2012 (AFP)

China on Thursday cut interest rates for the first time in over three years and moved to allow rates to float more freely, in a bid to boost a slowing economy a...

Outside View: South Asian meltdown?

Jun 06, 2012 (UPI)

Conditions in South Asia are chaotic, confused, critical and potentially catastrophic. Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are confronted with existential security,...

Walker's World: Merkel says 'nein'

Jun 04, 2012 (UPI)

It cannot be much fun being Angela Merkel these days. Her peers among world leaders ganged up on the German chancellor at the Group of Eight summit in the Unite...

Asia struggles to ward off impact of European crisis

Jun 03, 2012 (AFP)

Weak manufacturing activity in China and dismal growth data from India have underscored Asia's vulnerability to the European turmoil and sparked fresh calls for...