ECONOMY

Chinese President Visits Pakistan To Finalize Billion-Dollar Trade Route Plan

5:18pm April 21, 2015

by Philip Reeves

China's President Xi Jinping is in Pakistan to oversee the signing of agreements for a plan that would build $46 billion in infrastructure and energy projects. China aims to create greater land and sea ties with Pakistan in order to strengthen its influence in European and Middle Eastern markets.

Queue Listen Now

Earlier this year, the European Central Bank, headed by Mario Draghi, launched a bond-buying program to drive down interest rates and boost borrowing.

When Rates Turn Negative, Banks Pay Customers To Borrow

10:30pm April 20, 2015

by John Ydstie

European interest rates are being pushed so low — to less than zero — that some banks are paying borrowers to take loans. Such low rates are aimed at boosting Europe's economy, but there are risks.

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, left, meets Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari in Tokyo. The United States and Japan are nearing a major trade deal, according to Japan's prime minister.

Japan, U.S. 'Close' To Major Deal

12:37pm April 20, 2015

by Miles Parks

A 12-country trade agreement hinges on negotiations between Japan and the United States.

A general view of downtown Oklahoma City as basketball fans gather outside Oklahoma City Arena. The once run-down area has undergone a major transformation over the past 20 years.

Murrah Building Bombing Prompted Oklahoma City's Downtown Revival

6:33pm April 19, 2015

by Logan Layden

Oklahoma City's decaying downtown has changed into a thriving entertainment district over the past 20 years. A former city official says the bombing sharpened the city's desire to revitalize the area.

Queue Listen Now

Greece Risks Losing Future Bailout Funds

11:00am April 19, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

The question of what to do about Greece if it defaults on its debts is a topic at World Bank and IMF meetings in Washington this week.

Queue Listen Now

Global Bankers Meet To Resolve A Two-Speed World Economy

10:59am April 18, 2015

The IMF and World Bank meet this weekend. Likely on the agenda: the Iran deal, ISIS and Russia. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks with Foreign Policy's David Rothkopf about the state of the global economy.

Queue Listen Now

Freighters wait to unload cargo at the Tanjung Pagar container port in Singapore.

Why A Blockbuster Of A Trade Deal With Asia Matters

5:51pm April 17, 2015

by Jackie Northam

Congress is giving President Obama new powers to help seal the deal on an ambitious Asia-Pacific free trade agreement, a move that angers many Democrats and unions.

Greece's Economy Remains Embroiled In Turmoil

2:10pm April 17, 2015

David Greene talks to David Wessel about whether Greece will receive more loans in exchange for promises to overhaul its economy. Wessel is director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution

Queue Listen Now

Traders are pictured at their desks in front of the DAX board at the Frankfurt stock exchange on Friday.

Bloomberg Terminals Go Dark For Hours, Sending Ripples Through Markets

11:03am April 17, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The financial "screens" went dark for several hours during trading in London and Asia causing, among other disruptions, a delay in a British government debt issue.

In the 1950s, the World Bank funded the creation of the world's largest man-made dam, the Kariba Dam, which sits on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The construction of such dams can have dire consequences for poor people living near a river, an investi

When The World Bank Does More Harm Than Good

8:17am April 17, 2015

by NPR Staff

Large projects funded by the bank have left millions of poor people worse off, an investigation found. The bank says the vast majority of its projects don't fall into this category.

Queue Listen Now