New figures from France, Germany and Italy -- the three biggest economies in the 12-country Eurozone- suggest the continent’s economic woes may have been exaggerated. In France, evidence emerged that consumer spending remained solid in July and August, rising 1.4% and 0.6% respectively. Forecasters had generally expected the July figure to show a 0.1% slippage, with August unchanged. But the figures were flattered slightly by a down grade to the June figure, to 0.7% from 1.5%.
With manufacturing in the doldrums across Europe and the U. S. , consumer spending has been increasingly seen as the best hope of stopping the global economic slowdown from turning into a recession. The French government said the news proved that the economy was holding up to the strain of the slowdown.
Meanwhile in Germany, new regional price figures went someway towards calming fears about inflation in Europe’s largest economy -- a key reason for the European Central Ban
A. the attacks on U. S. targets lead to the comparatively lower growth
B. the growth had been well short of the government's target
C. the budget deficit must be about 1.5%
D. the budget deficit will probably be greatly different from the country's promise
The World Health Organization (WHO) is in trouble. Its leader is accused of tailing to lead, and as the organization drifts, other bodies, particularly the World Bank, are setting the global health agenda. Western governments want the WHO to set realistic targets and focus its energy on tackling major killers such as childhood diseases and tobacco.
The WHO clearly needs to set priorities. Its total budget of 0.9 billion - around 10p for each man, woman and child in the world - cannot solve all the worlds health problems. Yet its senior management does not seem willing to narrow the organization’s focus. Instead it is trying to be all things to all people and losing dependability.
Unfortunately, the argument for priority-setting is being seriously undermined by the US, one of the chief advocators of change. The US is trying to reduce its contribution to the WHO’s regular budget from a quarter of the total to a fifth. That would leave the organization 20
A. The US will be justified in cutting its financial contribution.
B. More heated arguments will be unavoidable between richer and poorer countries.
C. There should be better service for poorer countries but no cost - cutting.
D. The poorer countries will not receive more benefits.
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