Vince Cable confronts Lloyds over staff cuts in commercial banking

Vince Cable is demanding an urgent meeting with the boss of Lloyds Banking Group after the bailed-out bank made deep cuts to the number of its small business experts.

Economy slowly exits the Great Recession

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy is showing more strength than at any time since the Great Recession began six years ago. Employers are hiring.

European Union to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin amid growing tension over pressing issues

BRUSSELS: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the European Union's top two officials were set to hold "clear the air" talks in Brussels on Tuesday after months of growing tension over Ukraine and trade and energy disputes.

Hollande’s Announcement of Split to Move Focus to Economy

Francois Hollande’s announcement that he has split from partner Valerie Trierweiler should end weeks of discussion about the French president’s private life and turn attention back to the economy, politicians said.

Obama set to announce 'practical' agenda focusing on immigration, income equality

President Obama is expected in his annual address Tuesday to detail what he calls “practical” proposals to advance the country in 2014, including ones to address "income inequality" and the nation’s immigration system.

At World Economic Forum, Kerry defends focus on Israeli security

DAVOS, Switzerland — Israel cannot make peace with the Palestinians so long as it fears that a free Palestine next door would be a base for terrorism or attacks on Israel, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Friday, explaining why Israeli security concerns figure so prominently in his effort to forge a peace deal.

Economic recovery in Europe is not over, bosses say

Top leaders at the 2014 World Economic Forum in Davos have warned Europe is not fully out of recession.

South Korea’s Fourth-Quarter Expansion Matches Estimates

South Korea’s economic growth matched analysts’ estimates in the fourth quarter, as the central bank kept the benchmark interest rate at the lowest level since 2010.

China and UK trade at 'record high'

Bilateral trade between China and the United Kingdom hit a "record high" in 2013, according to the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming.

EU poised to suspend some sanctions on Iran

BRUSSELS: Sometime between breakfast and lunchtime Monday, a message will arrive in Belgium's capital that should set in motion an international diplomatic machine, affect billions of dollars blocked in banks and have repercussions from US college campuses to oil tankers on the seas.

IMF head Christine Lagarde warns of deflation risks

The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned about the risks to global economic recovery of deflation.

Davos 2014: Widening wealth gap 'biggest risk' in 2014

The increasing gap between rich and poor is seen as the biggest risk to global stability, according to a survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In its annual report it warned that income disparity is seen as the risk "most likely to to cause serious damage globally in the coming decade".

Carney Fight Against Higher Rates Helped by Inflation

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has won respite in his battle to keep a lid on interest rates after inflation slowed to the 2 percent target for the first time in four years.

Fed banks split in December on what to do with discount rate

(Reuters) - One regional Federal Reserve bank continued to push for a cut in the U.S. central bank's emergency lending rate in December, while three others renewed a request to hike it, minutes of Fed deliberations released on Tuesday showed.

French economy 'still looking weak'

France's unemployment rate is stubbornly high, just below 11%, and economic growth is persistently weak.

Spain Refit Erodes China Edge as Business Lured Back Home

Almost 10 years ago, Priviet Sportive SL was losing business to Chinese suppliers. These days, the Spanish clothes designer is snatching orders back as falling wages at home let it produce garments at a lower cost.

Inflation, strangely low, holds key to 2014 US Federal Reserve policy

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK: Stubbornly weak inflation is shaping up as the wild card for US monetary policy makers this year, with top Federal Reserve officials stumped by why it has lingered so low for so long and at odds as to what to do about it.

UK industrial output and construction data miss forecasts

New economic data has cast doubt over the strength of the UK's economic recovery, prompting warnings against an early rise in interest rates.

Some banks easing lending ahead of stress tests: ECB's Honohan

(Reuters) - Some euro zone banks are restricting lending to boost their performance in financial stress tests this year, a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council said on Friday.

Improving US jobs growth led to Federal Reserve taper

Federal Reserve members mostly agreed about a reduction in the central bank's stimulus efforts in December, meeting minutes released Wednesday reveal.

IMF Plans to Raise Global Economic Growth Forecast, Lagarde Says

The International Monetary Fund will raise its forecast for world growth, Managing Director Christine Lagarde said, underscoring confidence in the global recovery as the outlook for the U.S. improves.

UK economy set to strengthen this year, BCC says

The UK's economic recovery is set to gather momentum this year, according to the latest quarterly survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

China's crackdown on risky lending raises economic growth fears

China's economic growth could drop below 7% this year after government documents revealed plans for a crackdown on risky lending.

Economies of Britain and France have more similarities than differences

As British crowing about last year's return to growth increasingly irks the struggling administration of François Hollande, it is worth remembering that London and Paris have more in common than they care to admit.

Fed could trim bond-buying more sharply in future: Plosser

(Reuters) - The Federal Reserve could well consider cutting its bond-buying by more than a $10 billion monthly increment in the future, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser said on Saturday, floating $25 billion as a hypothetical amount.

Catalan president calls on EU leaders to support push for independence

(Reuters) - Catalonia's president has called on European Union prime ministers for support as the region seeks a vote on independence in November this year, the source of an increasingly bitter fight with Spain's central government.

UK manufacturing growth remains strong

The UK's manufacturing sector continued to see strong growth last month, according to a closely watched survey.

Euro Zone's Weak Recovery Poses Risks to Others

BERLIN—The euro zone's recovery from crisis looks stuck in low gear, posing risks to its struggling members and weighing on fragile global growth.

US consumer confidence rises on better job outlook

WASHINGTON: US consumer confidence jumped this month on a better outlook for hiring and growth, supporting other signs that show the economy could accelerate in 2014.