Emerging markets crisis sees rush for safe havens

Investors sought out the safe havens of German bonds and the Swiss franc on Wednesday after deep splits in Turkey over interest rate increases meant only the briefest of respites from the escalating crisis in emerging markets.

State of the Union: Obama promises action on inequality

US President Barack Obama has promised to bypass a fractured Congress to tackle economic inequality in his annual State of the Union address.

India raises interest rates rise to stem inflation

India's central bank has unexpectedly raised interest rates in an attempt to rein in stubbornly high consumer prices in a crucial election year.

Britain's car industry may inspire more balanced economic recovery

LONDON (Reuters) - A bumper year for Britain's car industry offers some hope the economy will start to grow in a more sustainable way, with a better balance between investment and spending.

Davos 2014: ECB's Draghi sees 'dramatic improvement' in eurozone recovery

The head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, says there has been a "dramatic improvement" in the eurozone recovery over the past two years.

Canada's economic recovery 'relatively strong': PM Harper

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Canada's economic recovery has been quite strong, and could continue to improve as the global economy advances, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday.

Euro zone debt level drops for first time in six years

(Reuters) - Euro zone government debt fell for the first time in nearly six years in the third quarter of 2013, adding to signs the bloc is emerging from its crisis even if the debt level remains well above the EU's limit.

IMF Raises Global Outlook as Advanced Nations Accelerate

The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for global growth this year as expansions in the U.S. and U.K. accelerate, and urged advanced economies to maintain monetary accommodation to strengthen the recovery.

Job prospects fall in four parts of the UK, finds TUC

The chances of finding a job in some parts of the UK have fallen despite an overall improvement in employment prospects, according to a report.

S&P Removes Portugal From Creditwatch as Negative Outlook Kept

Portugal’s long-term government bond rating was removed from “creditwatch” by Standard & Poor’s, reducing the risk of a downgrade, as the country sticks to a European Union-led bailout program.

Euro zone trade surplus grows as imports fall in November

(Reuters) - The euro zone trade surplus widened in November because imports fell more sharply than exports, data from the EU's statistics office Eurostat showed on Wednesday, pointing to continued weakness of domestic demand.

High street sales jump 2.6% in unexpected Christmas surge

Shoppers splashed out over Christmas, with official figures showing retail sales rose by 2.6% in December, way ahead of City forecasts of 0.2%.

Brazil Signals Inflation Will Extend World’s Biggest Rate Rise

Brazil’s central bank signaled it will extend the world’s biggest interest rate increase after last year’s surge in consumer prices made slowing inflation a greater concern to policy makers than reviving economic growth.

Retail sales, inventory data suggest strong fourth-quarter growth

(Reuters) - U.S. retail sales edged up in December with a core spending gauge posting a big jump, a sign the economy gathered steam at the end of last year and was poised for stronger growth in 2014.

UK Treasury had no choice but to give Scottish independence debt pledge

In reality, the Treasury had little choice but to take responsibility for the UK's entire debt stock in the event of Scottish independence.

ECB's Mersch says recovery on wobbly legs

(Reuters) - The euro zone economic recovery is still very tentative and fragile and is Europe's number one challenge for 2014, European Central Bank Executive Board member Yves Mersch said on Monday.

US bank results set to reignite controversy over City bonuses

Controversy over City pay is likely to be reignited this week when the major US banks – including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs – release their results for 2013.

French economy rebounded in late 2013, figures suggest

PARIS, Jan 10 (Reuters) - French GDP is likely to have grown strongly in the final quarter of last year and industrial output surged in November, figures showed on Friday, marking a welcome turnaround for the euro zone's second largest economy.

Trio of weaker data reports takes shine off UK recovery

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's economic recovery got a "reality check" on Friday when data showed weaker-than-expected manufacturing output, a sharp fall in the construction sector, and a slowdown in retail sales growth.

China inflation hits 7-month low, eases tightening fears

BEIJING: China's annual consumer inflation slowed more sharply than expected to a seven-month low of 2.5 percent in December, easing market fears of monetary policy tightening although the central bank is tapping the brakes on bank liquidity.

Euro zone unemployment holds at record high, retail sales rebound

(Reuters) - Euro zone retail sales leapt in November even though unemployment remained at a record high, hinting at a pick up in consumer demand that would ease deflation worries and relieve pressure on the ECB to loosen policy.

Surprise Canada Trade Gap and Spending Drop Hurt Currency

Canada unexpectedly reported a return to large merchandise trade deficits and a decline in business investment, pushing the dollar to the weakest in three years and suggesting a transition away from consumer spending as the primary economic growth driver is further delayed.

Euro zone economic recovery gathers steam

The euro zone's economic recovery showed signs of gathering pace Monday as services and manufacturing activity in the region expanded in December, according to the latest data from analysis firm Markit.

Gold Rises to Two-Week High on Physical Demand; Platinum Gains

Gold futures rose to a two-week high amid signs of increasing demand for bars and coins. Platinum climbed to the highest since November.

Fed no less committed to stimulus after cut to QE: Bernanke

(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve is no less committed to highly accommodative policy now that it has trimmed its bond-buying stimulus, Ben Bernanke said on Friday in what could be his last speech as Fed chairman.

UK construction industry posts eighth consecutive month of growth

A range of new commercial building projects helped the construction industry expand again last month and companies are increasingly confident about the year ahead.

At year's end: Economic recovery is taking shape

The question in an economic recovery invariably flips, in time, from when will it finally occur to what will it look like.

Euro zone gets 18th member: Latvia

Starting Wednesday, Latvians began swapping their old currency -- lats -- in exchange for euros, making Latvia the 18th country to join the euro currency union.

China's factory growth slower but resilient at year end

BEIJING: Growth in China's factories slowed slightly in December as export orders and output weakened, official data showed on Wednesday, adding to views that while the world's second-largest economy remains resilient, it lost some steam in late 2013.