Putin economy reshuffle to strengthen Kremlin: sources

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin will appoint Economy Minister Sergei Belousov as his chief economic adviser, in a reshuffle that will tighten the Kremlin's control over the management of Russia's $2 trillion economy, sources said on Friday.

Worse-Than-Cyprus Debt Load Means Caribbean Defaults to Moody’s

Three bond restructurings totaling about $9.7 billion in the Caribbean this year are failing to ignite economic growth and may not help the region avoid more defaults, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

China profit growth quickens, no harbinger of recovery

BEIJING: China's industrial profits growth quickened in April from the previous month, though the government noted that the pickup was due mainly to a low comparative base, indicating that the world's second largest economy still faces slack domestic and external demand.

Germany says 'no' to EU tariffs against China

BERLIN: Germany told the European Commission Monday that it rejected a proposal to slap tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports, its economy minister said.

U.S. only advanced economy with no guaranteed paid vacation

WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) -- The United States is the only country among advanced economies that does not require employers to provide paid vacation time, a non-profit group says.

'Yugonostalgia' as Croatia prepares to join EU

Forget the European Union, many in this Croatian village are saying. The group of nations being celebrated this weekend is one that died more than 20 years ago when Yugoslavia - now fervently remembered as a haven of peace, prosperity and equality - fell apart in a cascade of ethnic wars.

Germany reports sluggish first-quarter growth of 0.1%

Germany's economy barely grew in the first quarter of 2013 as exports and investment shrank, figures show. But higher domestic consumption - thanks to rising wages - helped offset the declines in foreign trade and capital investment, raising hopes it will help drive a sustained recovery.