21st Century Challenges

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a fundamental rethink of capitalism in the aftermath of the financial crisis.  "We need deep profound change," he said in his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

US president cheered by No 10 staff as he and wife Michelle arrive for discussions with prime minister

The pursuit of economic growth was one of the root causes of the financial crisis, and governments should respond to the recession by abandoning growth at all costs in favour of a more sustainable, greener system, says a report out today.

The country is displaying early symptoms of being trapped in a so-called “debt deflation trap” where families find themselves pushed further and further into the red every month, according to a Bank report published today.

Japan's economy shrank 3.2% in the final three months of last year, figures out today showed, confirming fears that the country is mired in its deepest recession since the second world war.

50 people who will frame the debate on the Future of Capitalism

Ed Miliband, Climate Change Secretary says new jobs will be created in low-carbon industries for 400,000 people - from lagging lofts to nuclear power - the government will announce today.

The financial crisis will enter a new phase today when the Bank of England announces that it will fight the economic downturn by pumping hundreds of billions of pounds into the economy.

Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, is preparing to use a speech to the US Congress in Washington to urge American politicians to avoid retreating to economic protectionism.

Gordon Brown will on Wednesday challenge Democrats on Capitol Hill to resist protectionism

EU leaders have ended an emergency summit in Brussels saying they are determined to avoid protectionist moves in response to the economic crisis.

Campaigners hope huge spending packages aimed at easing the slump will spell the first serious attempt to tackle climate change. But are they as green as billed?

European economies contracted in the fourth quarter of last year, with some countries registering the worst figures in decades, official data shows.

Conservative leader David Cameron has said people's "faith in capitalism and free enterprise" must be restored despite the global downturn

The slumping pound did little to help British exports in December, but imports dropped sharply as the cost of foreign-made goods spiralled and demand slumped, resulting in the narrowest trade gap for one and half years and offering a sliver of hope for the economy.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged leaders of the G20 developed and emerging economies to resist calls for protectionism.

A planned international summit on the financial crisis is turning into a debate over the future shape of capitalism, with European leaders favoring greater international oversight of markets, and U.S. officials preferring the current model of national regulation.

Capitalism has improved the lives of billions of people — something that's easy to forget at a time of great economic uncertainty. But it has left out billions more.