AP - Construction spending fell in May by the largest amount in nearly two years as the once booming housing sector suffered another big decline.

Reuters - U.S. chain store sales slipped in the latest week as slowing customer traffic and flooding in the U.S. Northeast crimped activity, according to a report on Wednesday.

Reuters - Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said on Thursday the central bank would conduct appropriate monetary policy based on the economy and prices, giving few hints on BOJ policy a week before its crucial policy-setting meeting.

AP - Japan's finance minister urged the central bank Friday to watch the market reaction to North Korea's recent missile tests, ahead of the Bank of Japan's meeting next week when the bank may raise interest rates for the first time in six years.

AP - A senior ruling party official said Japan should trust its central bank with the decision on when to raise interest rates, a report said Monday, ahead of this week's expected move to boost rates long frozen at zero.

AP - China's bank lending fell 22 percent last month, suggesting official efforts to cool off the sizzling economy are taking effect, state media reported Tuesday.

AP - America's trade deficit rose in May as the price of imported oil jumped by the largest amount since 1990 in the run-up to the first U.S.-Iraq war.

AP - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week, apparently reflecting the spring slowdown in the economy.

Reuters - The Bank of Japan raised interest rates for the first time in six years on Friday but said very low rates would probably be maintained for some time.

AFP - The upsurge in Middle East violence and resulting spike in crude oil prices poses new risks to the US economy, which is already cooling from higher interest rates and other factors, experts say.

AP - Germany's central bank said Monday that the country's economy likely gained momentum in the second quarter, helped by the building industry and an influx of visitors to the soccer World Cup.

AFP - Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has received food for thought on the inflation front -- a sharp jump in wholesale prices -- as he prepared to deliver a keenly awaited appraisal of the US economy.

AP - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits posted a big decline last week, reflecting fewer layoffs in the auto industry.

FT.com - The US economy is 'in transition', says Ben Bernanke. This week's data will illustrate the moderation in growth that is under way and also higher than anticipated inflationary pressures, themes of the Federal Reserve chairman's testimony to Congress last week.

AP - India's central bank raised two short-term interest rates Tuesday by a quarter percentage point each, but left a key rate unchanged in a bid sustain the growing economy's momentum.

FT.com - Gold surged to $633.90 a troy ounce, helped by weakness in the dollar after the latest Beige Book showed more evidence of a slowdown in the pace of growth in the US economy. This raised hopes that the Federal Reserve will pause from raising interest rates in August and put downward pressure on the dollar. Gold was also supported by the failure of the Middle East summot in Rome to call for an immendiate ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hizbollah.

Reuters - U.S. economic growth slowed abruptly during the second quarter to less than half the pace seen at the beginning of the year, while a key gauge of inflation accelerated, the Commerce Department said on Friday.

Reuters - St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President William Poole said on Monday he feels evenly split about the need for an 18th consecutive interest-rate hike at the Fed's upcoming meeting next week.