The figurative salon was where an elite clique of bankers, industrialists, politicians and families that dominated Italian political and economic life in the second half of the 20th century gathered. Europe,Alberto Nagel,Assicurazioni Generali,banking,Enrico Cuccia,investment bank,Mediobanca,RCS Mediagroup,Paul Maidment

This year may mark the centenary of the creation of the U.S. Federal Reserve, but it is a mere stripling among central banks compared to the venerable Bank of England as a new exhibition of the Bank's private collection cartoons and caricatures shows.Europe,Bank of England,British art,James Gilray,John Keyworth,John Tenniel,Steve Bell,Paul Maidment

Moving markets: Ezequiel Garay. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images/Miguel Riopa Managers, as professional soccer club coaches are called, have long learned to disregard fans’ perceptions of whether new players they buy for their teams are wastes of money or bargains. Investors may prove a different matter. Case in point: Manchester United, which plays in the English Premier League and whose parent company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its shares fell…Europe,Alex Ferguson,CIES Football Observatory,David Moyes,English Premier League,Ezequiel Garay,Manchester United F.C.,New York Stock Exchange.,Paul Maidment

  Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images/Stringer Half the world’s pigs — more than 470 million of them — live in China, but even that may not be enough to satisfy the growing Chinese appetite for meat. While meat consumption in the United States has fallen more than 5% since peaking in 2007, Chinese meat consumption has leapt 18%, from 64 million to 78 million (metric) tons — twice as much as in the United…Asia-Pacific,China,Earth Policy Institute,Shuanghui International,Smithfield Foods Inc.,Earth Policy Institute

Japan's public pension funds are being mobilized in the cause of making Japanese investors believe that Abenomics can rekindle growth.Asia-Pacific,Deflation,Government Pension Investment Fund,Japan,Pension fund,Shinzo Abe,Paul Maidment

European Securities and Markets Authority wants to get the measure of Libor; London won't accept its wings being clipped in the process.Europe,banking,Esma,Euribor,European Commission,European Securities and Markets Authority,Libor,London,Paris,Paul Maidment

Escalating inter-union violence in South Africa's mines and a likely difficult round of wage negotiations in the platinum, gold and coal sectors bode ill for the economy and social stability. Africa,Congress of South African Trade Unions,Jacob Zuma,Labor Issues,Lonmin,Marikana,Mining,National Council of Trade Unions,National Union of Mineworkers,NUM,Rustenburg,South Africa,Trade unions in South Africa,Paul Maidment

Brazilian policymakers' fretting over their economy has become so marked that the country's central bank can’t hide it any more.Americas,Alexandre Tombini,Brazil,Brazil central bank,Guido Mantenga,Inflation,Alex Erquicia

Even as BRICS nations seek a new global economic order, China and Brazil are vying for influence, natural resources and export markets in Africa.Africa,Americas,Asia-Pacific,African Union,Brazil,BRICS,China,Dilma Rousseff,Ethiopia,Alex Erquicia

Inequality increased by more during the first three years of the global financial crisis than in the previous dozen, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Global Economy,Distribution of wealth,Economic inequality,Gini coefficient,OECD,Poverty,Alex Erquicia