IMF chief Christine Lagarde has endured a trial by fire since winning the job six months ago, from Europe’s debt crisis to a slowing global economy.
Italy has scraped through a key bond auction test but Prime Minister Mario Monti has called for a European-wide response to the debt crisis.
Greece’s interim government has pledged to create 150 000 new jobs in the first quarter of 2012 to alleviate the effects of an acute financial crisis.
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/ 27 December 2011
Every week brought more dire forecasts in the battle to save Europe’s economic club but 2012 will be its worst year yet.
The IMF’s Christine Lagarde is right to worry about potential economic doomsday scenarios but the Europe of 2011 is different to that of the 1930s.
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/ 14 December 2011
British students, faced with government austerity measures, are turning to prostitution, gambling and other dangerous pursuits to fund their studies.
A European summit deal to strengthen budget discipline in the eurozone failed to restore financial confidence, forcing the ECB to step in again.
European leaders have agreed to join their fiscal fortunes in order to stop a crippling debt crisis, save the euro currency and prevent further chaos.
Europe has divided in a historic rift with a majority of countries led by Germany and France moving ahead with a treaty, leaving Britain isolated.
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/ 8 December 2011
Oil prices have moved higher to almost $102 a barrel in Asia in anticipation of Europe’s interest rate decision and debt crisis summit.
France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany’s Angela Merkel are preparing to centralise control of EU members’ budgets in order to rein in their debt crisis.
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/ 5 December 2011
Hopes are high that European leaders may finally agree on a plan to address the continent’s debt crisis at a make-or-break gathering on Friday.
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/ 30 November 2011
Europe’s debt crisis has led banks there to refuse to lend money to firms trading with Africa, threatening growth on the continent.
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/ 28 November 2011
The OECD says the eurozone’s debt crisis is the biggest threat to the global economy and a break-up of the currency zone can no longer be ruled out.
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/ 28 November 2011
As a new financial week begins, investors are dreading more bad news from Europe and further knocks to the market.
The leader of the Greek far-right nationalist party Laos says he will support Prime Minister Lucas Papademos until the government’s work is completed.
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/ 26 November 2011
As the debt crisis makes itself felt across central and Eastern Europe, Austrian banks — heavily exposed to the region — are getting nervous.
The EU is headed for Rome for talks as the Italian treasury launches a €10-billion bond sale to try to stem the nation’s debt crisis.
As the protagonist in a looming global crisis, her critics say she is simply not up to the challenge.
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/ 25 November 2011
This has not been a great week to be South African as a once-proud liberation movement rushed into law a Secrecy Bill.
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/ 24 November 2011
The Arab Spring, eurozone crisis and looming US elections has thrown the global political landscape into turmoil in 2011.
The eurozone crisis poses a serious threat to the SA economy, President Jacob Zuma says, and it will take a collective effort to cushion the country.
The German economy has shown signs of strain and raised fears across world financial markets that Europe is far from containing its crisis.
Europe has started down a road to far-reaching legal changes that would see the EU police budgets before they pass domestic lawmakers.
Germany’s Angela Merkel has said the eurozone should not rest on the idea of eurobonds as the miracle remedy for the continent’s debt crisis.
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/ 21 November 2011
Investors are uncertain whether the eurozone can solve its debt crisis. Will bond markets signal optimism or deepening scepticism in the week ahead?
Greece’s Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has headed to Brussels to fight for the aid Athens needs to avoid bankruptcy.
Spain’s right storms towards a landslide win in Sunday elections, carried by popular anger over an economic slump.
A major conservative party in Greece’s new unity government has refused to drop its opposition to signing reform pledges in return for crucial loans.
Angela Merkel and David Cameron are due to kiss and make up after ‘selfish’ London made comments about Germany being bossy about the euro crisis.
Central banks are poised to lower rates and are calling for reduced exposure to the continent. Gill Marcus says the reserve bank is ready to act.
Greece stands to lose €52-billion in unpaid taxes and is set to raise a mere €1.3-billion out of a €5-billion target for privatisation proceeds.