Money Matters: Why Germany Wants to Keep the EU Together
28 June 2011.
The Euro-zone is faltering. Bogged down by the ails of the PIIGS, the Euro-zone is fragile and susceptible to a potential economic meltdown.
Category: Markets
Colombia’s Credit Rating Improved to Investment Grade
The Colombian economy received a massive boost last Wednesday, as Fitch Ratings became the third major credit rating agency this year to upgrade the nation’s investment grade – to BBB-, the minimum standard required for a country to be deemed as credit-worthy.
US Jobless Claims Rise as Consumer Confidence Dips
New US claims for unemployment benefits grew faster than expected in the week ended June 18th 2011 – echoing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke concerns over a persistent economic slowdown in the US.
According to a Labour Department report, 429,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits that week – 14,000 more than an earlier prediction done by economists for Reuters.
Assuaging Singapore’s Obsession With Comparative Ranking
Singapore is one of the most competitive economies in the world. Despite its small physical and demographic size, the country takes immense pride in its ability to stand among the world’s economic giants as one of the best countries in the world for businesses and investments. However, according to Bill Rylance – founder and CEO of WATATAWA – Singapore’s competitive nature has led to a nation-wide obsession with global rankings.
Merkel Says Greece is Saved and Other News (Weekly Roundup)
Here’s a weekly look at the top business, finance and world economy news.
World Economy
German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised a hard-won deal to rescue heavily indebted Greece from its financial woes, insisting Friday that it will steady the wobbly euro and showed that Europe could cope with the crisis despite having asked the International Monetary Fund to join in on a bailout package.
Economics Humor: PIGS & The Eurozone Crisis
The European economy is not doing so well, and it’s no laughing matter – especially for Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain as they struggle to cope with debt and rest their hopes on a bailout, or exit from the Euro.
But every cloud has a silver lining and economies are resilient and always do – and will – find a way to bounce back. In the meantime, it’s Friday and with the weekend around the corner, here’s some light hearted humor to relieve some tension on what is a bad situation:
The Long and Winding Road to Recovery
The IMF recently updated its economic forecasts for the global economy – predicting a two-speed recovery process whereby emerging economies would experience strong economic growth whereas most advanced economies face an uphill battle to stimulate growth and avoid stagnation.
Plenty of Fishes in the Sea? Think Again.
Hundreds of species of marine life are facing mass extinction as pollution, climate change and overfishing threaten to create a catastrophe “unprecedented in human history”, according to the latest report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Eurozone Bosses Say Non! To Greek Bailout
The debt crisis in Greece is increasingly turning into a Greek tragedy, in both the literal and figurative sense, as Euro-zone finance ministers emerged from two days of discussion at the Luxembourg Summit to announce that the next tranche of aid to Athens would not be approved until the Greek parliament passes new austerity measures.
Eurozone Divorce Imminent: Nouriel Roubini
20 June 2011.
In his latest article – The Eurozone Heads For Break Up – published in the Financial Times, Roubini expresses his belief that current policies adopted by European nations has not and will not resolve the Eurozone’s fundamental problems of competitive and economic divergence. The Eurozone, in its present form, is thus on a path to separation.
