INFLATION

Chinese annual inflation pushed up to an 18-month high in April and property prices rose at a record clip, showing that the government still has its work cut out to keep the world's third-largest economy from boiling over.

Chinese annual inflation pushed up to an 18-month high in April and property prices rose at a record clip, showing that the government still has its work cut out to keep the world's third-largest economy from boiling over.

China stands little chance of hitting the government's target of keeping inflation below 3 percent this year, a senior government economist said on Saturday.

U.S. employment grew at the fastest pace in four years in April as private sector businesses ramped up hiring, showing the labor market recovery gaining steam.

A surge in U.S. productivity slowed in the first quarter, hinting that employers may soon need to step up hiring after months of squeezing more output from a small pool of workers.

European sovereign debt woes are a risk to the improving U.S. economic outlook, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said on Thursday.

U.S. productivity grew solidly in the first quarter, although not as fast as in previous periods, and data also showed the number of U.S. workers filing claims for jobless aid fell slightly last week.

The economy is showing signs of improvement but the recovery still has a long way to go and ultra-low interest rates are still needed, a top Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday.

A Japanese ruling party panel called on the government and the Bank of Japan on Thursday to make utmost efforts to keep the yen at appropriate levels as part of efforts to pull the world's No.2 economy out of deflation.

* Rosengren argues ultra-low rates still needed * Hoenig urges hard leverage constraints * Plosser says regulators humbled by crisis

With bullion analysts predicting a rise in gold prices following the European crisis and the Chinese crackdown on realty, scrap gold sales are set to shoot up. Scarp gold sales are normally up at a time when the gold prices go up as several people rush in to book profits. In April, India witnessed a surge in sales of old gold jewellery after remaining more or less tepid since the beginning of the new year. A consumer who wishes to sell old jewellery to a scrap trader is a contributor to recycled...

Manufacturing, construction and consumer spending data on Monday all bode well for the economic recovery, with factories' activity growing at the fastest pace in nearly six years.

China on Sunday raised the proportion of deposits that lenders must keep in reserve at the central bank, another step in its months-old campaign to mop up excess cash in the economy at a time when inflation is on the rise.

U.S. manufacturing, construction and consumer spending data on Monday all bode well for the economic recovery, with factories' activity growing at the fastest pace in nearly six years.

U.S. consumer spending rose in March for a sixth straight month as households pushed savings to a 1-1/2 year low, further evidence consumers were starting to take a bigger role in the manufacturing-led recovery.

China on Sunday raised the proportion of deposits that lenders must keep in reserve at the central bank, another step in its months-old campaign to mop up excess cash in the economy at a time when inflation is on the rise. The People's Bank of China said it was lifting lenders' reserve requirement ratio by 50 basis points, effective May 10, its third increase of that magnitude this year.

Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said on Sunday Israel could become a leading economy globally if a Middle East peace deal is reached but that the key challenges for now were to accelerate growth and cut poverty.

Finance ministers from east Asian countries on Sunday cited rising global asset prices and inflationary pressures and sovereign debt risks' possible impact on capital inflow as the key risks facing their economies.

China on Sunday raised the proportion of deposits that lenders must keep in reserve at the central bank, another step in its months-old campaign to mop up excess cash in the economy at a time when inflation is on the rise.

Employment costs in the United States rose slightly more than expected in the first quarter, driven by benefits that recorded the biggest jump in almost three years, Labor Department data showed on Friday.

It's good to have some commodities in your portfolio, according to a recent academic study slated for publication in the Journal of Investing.