Business lobby groups hail brighter UK economy

The UK economy is in good health, suggest two major business lobby groups, the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

India's Modi to unveil top 10 policy priorities: aide

(Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to unveil his top 10 policy priorities on Thursday, seeking to unblock an investment logjam and setting deadlines for action in order to revive the economy.

Cyprus economic outlook rises to around 2010 levels

(Reuters) - Economic sentiment in Cyprus improved significantly in May, a publicly funded survey showed on Wednesday, reaching 2010 levels after hitting a trough due to its international bailout last year.

Lagarde: Financial stability is central banks’ duty

SINTRA, Portugal—Central bankers around the world may have to take financial stability into greater account, in addition to their usual duties of keeping inflation low while maintaining close cooperation with each other, International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde said Sunday.

BOJ's Iwata signals chance of tapering if economy overheats

TOKYO, May 26 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata signalled on Monday the possibility of withdrawing the central bank's massive monetary stimulus if the economy overheats and nudges up inflation well above its 2 percent price target.

Is the financial crisis in US, over and already forgotten?

Michael S. Barr, a law professor at the University of Michigan who was an assistant Treasury secretary when the financial crisis was at its worst, is working on a book titled "Five Ways the Financial System Will Fail Next Time."

EU should consider its business in Russia when deciding on sanctions - Kremlin

May 24 (Reuters) - The European Union should consider the interests of European companies working in Russia when deciding on whether to impose sanctions on Moscow over its involvement in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin's top economic aide said on Saturday.

German economy to slow after strongest quarter in 3 yrs in Q1

BERLIN, May 23 (Reuters) - Germany's economy grew at its fastest rate in three years in the first quarter, driven by domestic factors, while a leading indicator of sentiment signalled that expansion in Europe's largest economy is set to slow.

Canada Inflation Hits Poloz Goal for First Time in 2 Yrs

Canada’s inflation rate quickened in April to reach the central bank’s target for the first time in two years, led by higher energy costs that Governor Stephen Poloz says he will disregard.

ECB's Mersch: Banks need to be strong enough to meet credit demand

(Reuters) - Euro zone banks need to be strong enough to support a pick up in credit demand to keep the euro zone recovery going, European Central Bank Executive Board member Yves Mersch said on Saturday.

SEC chair: Risk panel needs more capital markets expertise

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. regulatory risk council should make sure it has enough securities market expertise before deciding whether to designate large financial firms as systemic, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White said on Thursday.

Exclusive: Afghanistan suffers trade blow as China halts dollar deals with its banks

(Reuters) - Chinese banks have halted dollar transactions with most Afghan commercial banks, the central bank governor said on Thursday, making it difficult for businesses to pay for imports from one of Afghanistan's biggest trading partners.

Bank of England Governor issues warning over housing inflation

Britain’s housing market has deep structural problems and rising prices represent the biggest risk to the economy, the Governor of the Bank of England warns today.

Italy's Berlusconi says was forced from office by EU 'plot'

(Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi repeated accusations on Wednesday that he was forced out of office at the height of the euro zone crisis in 2011 as the result of a "plot" by European Union officials.

Consumer Confidence in U.S. Unexpectedly Declined in May

Consumer confidence unexpectedly fell in May from a nine-month high, showing Americans are being shaken by rising grocery bills and elevated fuel costs.

Italy's modest labor reform shows Renzi's momentum faltering

(Reuters) - Italy's chamber of deputies approved modest labor reforms on Thursday after a difficult passage through parliament, underlining the challenges facing Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in his pledge to overhaul the economy.

UK unemployment rate falls to five-year low

The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 133,000 to a fresh five-year low of 2.2 million in the three months to March, official figures show.

China tensions may have made this market a bargain

Territorial clashes with China have pushed Vietnam's shares down more than 10 percent over the past month and even though tensions haven't eased, some analysts are tipping a bargain buying opportunity.

Financial regulators raise concerns over money funds

A U.S. council of regulators looking at whether asset managers pose a potential threat to the financial system said Wednesday that money-market funds can be vulnerable to runs during periods of volatility.

Fed's Kocherlakota: diversity improves policymaking

(Reuters) - A diverse workforce that cuts across gender, ethnic and geographic lines can improve policymaking by generating a larger and better pool of ideas, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Narayana Kocherlakota said on Friday.

UK's economy grew 1 percent in three months to April - NIESR

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's economy grew by 1.0 percent in the three months to April, its fastest pace since June 2010, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimated on Friday.

Deflation risks in euro zone low: European Commission

(Reuters) - The risk of deflation in the euro zone is very low, the European Commission said on Monday, but price growth will pick up more slowly than expected this year and next, partly because of a stronger euro and a weak recovery.

Mario Draghi's pillow talk keeps the euro below $1.40

That Mario Draghi, he's such a tease. Rarely has there been a central banker who can string along financial markets by talk alone and the president of the European Central Bank was at it again on Thursday.Be patient, Draghi said.

Bank may yet need to go nuclear to burst the housing bubble

The Bank of England did not need the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to point out the risks of a property bubble in the UK.

Beware the Russia risk, warns Europe

Growing tensions with Russia could hit growth in Europe this year and next, warned the European Commission in its latest outlook.

Australia central bank seen on hold even as tough budget looms

(Reuters) - Australia's central bank is almost certain to maintain a neutral policy bias this week with a batch of data likely to point to an economy that is picking up speed, uncomfortable reading for a government preparing voters for a tough federal budget.

ECB Seen Holding Off More Policy Accommodation: Global Economy

Policy makers at the European Central Bank convening this week will probably hold off taking additional steps to stave off the risk of deflation amid inconsistent signals on the direction of prices.

Fed seen hiking rates in June 2015 as U.S. job creation surges

(Reuters) - The Federal Reserve could start raising benchmark interest rates in just over a year, based on trading in U.S. short-term interest-rate futures after a government report showed employers added many more jobs than expected in April.

Royal Bank of Scotland fears losing staff over bonus block

The boss of Royal Bank of Scotland warned on Friday that he was concerned he might lose key staff as a result of the government's refusal to back its bonus plans for 2014.

BOE’s Haldane Offers Few Clues on Monetary Policy

Andrew Haldane, the Bank of England’s big thinker on financial stability, takes up a new role setting interest rates as the central bank’s chief economist in June but his views on monetary policy are largely unknown.

BOJ projects inflation exceeding 2 percent, keeps bullish view intact

(Reuters) - The Bank of Japan projected for the first time on Wednesday that inflation will exceed 2 percent roughly two years from now, underscoring its conviction that a sustained end to deflation is on the horizon without additional stimulus.