Germany should drive economic recovery in Europe, IMF chief says

Geneva (AFP) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde wants Germany to play a bigger role in propelling economic recovery in Europe, she hinted in an interview broadcast on Monday, suggesting that German wages should rise.

European Stocks Climb After Draghi Signals More Stimulus

European stocks rose to their highest level this month, following two weekly increases, after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signaled policy makers are ready to add stimulus.

Spain wins third credit upgrade as economy brightens

Madrid (AFP) - Standard and Poor's boosted Spain's credit rating on Friday, hailing signs of economic recovery despite massive unemployment in the eurozone's fourth-biggest economy.

Did Europe misdiagnose debt crisis and make it worse?

(Reuters) - At the height of the euro zone debt crisis, with Portugal's economy nearing collapse, the European Commission told the government in Lisbon that it had to slash wages if it was ever going to boost competitiveness and grow again.

Tax burden on wages in rich countries rose again in 2013: OECD

(Reuters) - Taxes on wages rose across industrialized countries last year, as governments sought to reduce budget deficits blown out by efforts to tackle years of economic weakness following the financial crash.

House building drives surge in UK construction activity

Britain's construction sector has enjoyed its strongest pick-up in business since before the financial crisis plunged the industry deep into recession, according to the latest in a string of upbeat economic reports.

Eurozone business growth slows

The pace of growth among businesses in the eurozone eased in October as the service sector slowed, a survey has indicated.

Russia services sector posts sluggish growth in September: PMI

MOSCOW: Growth in Russia's services sector slowed slightly in September as new business expanded only modestly and companies became more pessimistic about future orders, a business survey showed on Thursday.

Euro-Zone Employment Falls Again

The number of people with jobs in the 17 countries that share the euro fell again in the three months to June, as the currency area's economy returned to growth following 18 months of contraction.

Lunch hour in Italy serves up some sour economic lessons

ROME (Reuters) - Of all the statistics available on Italy and its varied economic problems, few are as eye-opening as the fact that at around 1 p.m on any given day, three quarters of the population will normally be sitting down to lunch in their own homes.

Italy crisis close to an end but problems not over

ROME: Months of paralysing political deadlock seem close to an end in Italy with a new government possible by early next week, but there are many questions over how long the stability can last.