AP - China's manufacturing expanded in July, a state-sanctioned index showed Saturday, as Beijing's massive stimulus spending helped boost growth in the world's third-largest economy.

AFP - Weeds have not had time to overtake factories shuttered in the wake of recent bankruptcies at General Motors, Chrysler and a host of suppliers, but the signs of shattered lives are spreading as the economically devastated region, dubbed 'the rust belt' after its steel industry, fails to absorb the collapse of the auto industry.

AP - Two of President Barack Obama's economic heavyweights said middle-class taxes might have to go up to pare budget deficits or to pay for the proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system.

AP - Oil prices rose Tuesday and are now well above levels just one month ago as a string of economic reports provides a brighter outlook for the global economy.

AP - Oil prices hovered above $71 a barrel Wednesday in Asia as mixed economic news from the U.S. stalled a weeklong rally.

Reuters - The Bank of England took a far bigger step than expected to boost Britain's recession-hit economy on Thursday, expanding its quantitative easing program to 175 billion pounds from 125 billion.

AP - Oil prices traded below $72 a barrel Friday in Asia as investors looked to U.S. monthly employment figures later in the day for signs the economy may be recovering.

AFP - A surprise improvement in the US unemployment rate amid narrowing job losses has boosted hopes that the world's biggest economy is emerging from the grip of recession, analysts say.

AFP - Even as the US economy seems to be emerging from recession, the Federal Reserve is likely to signal it will maintain extraordinary efforts to spur growth until a recovery takes root, analysts say.

AFP - Oil prices eased on Monday as concerns over the pace of economic recovery persisted despite better-than-expected US unemployment data, analysts said.

AP - China's industrial output, trade and retail sales improved in July, data showed Tuesday, in positive signs for Beijing's multibillion-dollar effort to restore stable growth in the world's third-largest economy.

Reuters - Liz Claiborne Inc reported a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday as the lingering recession kept many shoppers from buying the company's clothing and accessories.

Reuters - Germany and France enjoyed a shock return to economic growth in the second quarter of the year, data showed on Thursday, ending their recessions earlier than many policymakers and economists had expected.

Reuters - One in four U.S. homes for sale on August 1 had their prices marked down at least once since landing on the market, data compiled by real estate website Trulia.com showed on Friday.

AFP - US special envoy Richard Holbrooke arrived in Islamabad on Saturday night for talks with top Pakistani leaders on a range of economic and security issues, officials said.

AFP - The US economy appears poised to emerge from recession but will struggle for some time, held back by a weak job market and cautious consumers, analysts say.

Reuters - North Korea said on Monday it would reopen its border with the South, ending a self-imposed 9-month blockade on a vital source of cash for its leaders as their ravaged economy is squeezed by tightening U.N. sanctions.

AP - Investor confidence in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, rose sharply in August as hopes grew that the economy will recover faster than previously expected, a closely-watched survey showed Tuesday.

AFP - Top US envoy Richard Holbrooke travelled to Pakistan's financial hub Karachi on Wednesday for talks on economic assistance, a key plank of Washington's new strategy to fight Islamist militancy here.

AP - The number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly for the second straight week, a sign that jobs remain scarce even as other data show the economy is stabilizing.

AP - Oil prices hovered near $73 a barrel Friday in Asia as mixed economic data from the U.S. point to a slow recovery.

Reuters - U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn said on Saturday there is no inconsistency between the Fed's pledge to keep interest rates low for an extended period while also keeping inflation low.

AP - China's top economic official warned the country faces new problems and said Beijing will stick to its stimulus because the recovery lacks a solid foundation, according to comments reported Monday.

AP - President Barack Obama is taking a break from his Martha's Vineyard vacation today to offer Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke another four-year-stint at running the central bank.

AP - German business confidence improved for a fifth consecutive month in August as the economy showed signs of recovery from its deep downturn, a closely watched survey said Wednesday.

Reuters - With the U.S. economy mired in recession, workers are finding themselves stuck in bad jobs with such annoyances as managers who berate employees and bosses who hold meetings in bed.

AP - Business and consumer confidence in the 16-nation euro zone increased again in August, official data showed Friday, suggesting the region is slowly recovering from one of the worst economic downturns in decades.

AP - Regulators on Friday shut down banks in California, Maryland and Minnesota, pushing to 84 the number of bank failures this year amid the soured economy and rising loan defaults.

AFP - Children head back to school in the United States in the coming days facing concerns over the threat of swine flu and as tough economic times force teachers and families to count their pennies.

AP - Oil prices fell to near $72 a barrel Monday in Asia as China's stock market tumbled and commodities investors questioned whether the U.S. economy can recover strongly in the second half.