WNCTIMES

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's focus on fine-tuning monetary and fiscal policies to fight the risk of a sudden economic slide worries investors pricing in a sixth successive quarter of slowing growth with no obvious sign of the solid stimulus they want. With domestic activity stifled by government curbs on real-estate speculation, the potential damage to demand for China's factory products from a deeper European debt crisis seems a logical justification for a spending splurge. "Maybe it would be easier for China if there were another global financial crisis. ...

Assurances that world powers want debt-laden Greece to remain in the euro helped support world stock markets Monday after sharp losses over the past week.

A German official says Berlin continues to oppose the idea of jointly-issued bonds for the eurozone, which France's new president had suggested could be used to fund economic growth.

A new survey shows economists are growing slightly more optimistic about recovery in the job and housing markets but expect other pillars of the economy to remain weak.

Asian stock markets struggled for direction Monday, with investors unconvinced that the world's major economies nailed a solution to the European debt crisis following a summit in Washington.

Thailand's economy posted double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2012, rebounding sharply from the fallout of last year's devastating floods, latest official data showed.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude recovered towards $108 on Monday on hopes that China could take new steps to stimulate growth and lift fuel demand at the world's second largest oil user, although concerns about the euro zone crisis capped gains. China's premier called for additional efforts to support growth on Sunday, while Goldman Sachs said world oil demand is growing despite recent weak economic data. The comments provided a bright spark in global markets, battered in past weeks by fears that Greece's political turmoil could spread to other countries in Europe. ...

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's telecoms regulator fined the country's four main mobile operators, including MTN and Bharti Airtel, a total of 1.17 billion naira on Sunday for poor-quality service. The telecoms industry is hugely profitable in Nigeria, Africa's second-biggest economy and home to some 160 million people, but users complain that the service is poor, with frequent dropped calls and network interruptions. ...