Global Economy
  • Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) arrives at Democratic Party caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/ File Photo

    Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

    By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

    In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...

  • FILE PHOTO: Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2017.   REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

    No Talk of Ousting Speaker Ryan, Key Conservative Says

    By Reuters

    Many Republicans are unhappy with the deal President Donald Trump reached last week with Democratic leaders to raise the government's debt ceiling and allow it to continue financing federal spending...

  • Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro waves during a pro-government rally with workers of state-run oil company PDVSA, in Barcelona

    The Crisis in Venezuela Could Send Oil Prices Soaring

    By Nick Cunningham, Oilprice.com

    Venezuela’s deteriorating crisis is “going to be the biggest geopolitical story to watch in the oil markets," according to Helima Croft of RBC Capital Markets. The economic, political and security...

  • FILE PHOTO: Arellano, deputy of the Venezuelan coalition of opposition parties (MUD), clashes with national guards during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas

    The Risk That Could Drive Oil Prices Higher in a Hurry

    By Nick Cunningham, Oilprice.com

    The latest rally in oil prices ran up against a wall yet again, and the same fears about oversupply have not receded in the slightest. The expectation from most oil analysts is that there is very...

  • Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement 'En Marche!', or 'Onwards!', and candidate for the 2017 presidential election, delivers a speech as he attends a meeting for Women's day in Paris, France

    France Just Made a Big Move Toward a Green Energy Future

    By Bate Felix and Simon Carraud, Reuters

    France aims to end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040 and become carbon neutral 10 years later, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot said on Thursday at a presentation of measures to keep up...

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin

    S&P Lowers the Ratings Boom on Putin’s Economy

    In a widely expected move, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s on Friday lowered its rating on Russia’s sovereign debt to “junk” status – meaning that the firm’s analysts no longer consider it a...

  • How India Could Help U.S. Battle ISIS

    By Sanjeev Miglani and Roberta Rampton, Reuters

    India could play a role in battling Islamic State, the White House said on Monday during a visit to New Delhi by President Barack Obama, underlining Washington's confidence that India is increasingly...

  • Wall Street Will Look to Fed for Global Risk Impact

    By Caroline Valetkevitch, Reuters

    The Federal Reserve could be key for Wall Street next week as investors get to hear from the U.S. central bank for the first time since a series of moves by its global peers, including the European...

  • Lithuania's central bank governor Vitas Vasiliauskas speaks during the Euro Conference in Vilnius September 25, 2014. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

    Big ECB Asset Purchases Could Ding U.S. Growth

    Just as the Federal Reserve is getting ready to ease off the accelerator and start raising interest rates, an ongoing economic slowdown in Europe has European Central Bank officials promising to pump...

  • Why Mario Draghi’s Massive QE May Not Be Enough

    Well, it finally happened. On Thursday morning the European Central Bank expanded its stimulus program to include purchases of Eurozone sovereign bonds. The program, informally labeled "quantitative...