Euro-Area Services Strengthen as Demand Improves

Euro-area services growth accelerated to the fastest in more than two years in September as demand and confidence improved. An index of activity rose to 52.1 from 50.7 in August, London-based Markit Economics said today.

Deep Thoughts by Alexander Mirtchev

Ashby Monk

For a variety of reasons, SWF employees are typically quite reserved and guarded when speaking to the press. Not so for Dr. Alexander Mirtchev, who is the Independent Director and a member of the Board of Directors of Kazakhstan’s $30 billion National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna.

Alexander Mirtchev

EU to change budget calculation to ease austerity

BRUSSELS: European Union finance experts have reached a preliminary agreement on changing the way the bloc determines some deficit figures, which will lessen the pressure for austerity measures in some crisis-hit economies, an EU official said Thursday.

Merkel eyes third term in first German vote since euro crisis

BERLIN (Reuters) - In the first German election since Europe's debt crisis erupted four years ago, voters are likely to give Angela Merkel a third term on Sunday, but may force her into a coalition with her leftist rivals and catapult a new anti-euro party into parliament.

ECB's Asmussen says Ireland should stick to austerity target

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland should not ease up on austerity in its annual budget next month but stick to a target of 3.1 billion euros ($4.2 billion) worth of spending cuts and tax hikes, European Central Bank Executive Board member Joerg Asmussen said on Saturday.