"For Slovenia it is very important that it retains access to financial markets ... We need to support Slovenia to continue its work. Any speculation regarding a possible bailout does not help with that."

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup,

suggesting that Slovenia must press on with reforms, according to Reuters. The country, weighed down by some 7.9 billion euros ($10.8 billion) of bad loans in the mostly state-owned banking sector, is struggling to avoid becoming the next eurozone member to accept a financial bailout. The government says reforms including tax increases, spending cuts and privatizations will help it avert a bailout. Dijsselbloem said that the bloc stands ready to support Slovenia, but it must not stray from the path of fiscal reform.

"Everyone is running flat out and it's contributing to some of the quality challenges that we've seen. In the past when we weren't running at full capacity, you actually had more cushion. Now we've removed that cushion. We're a lot more exposed in terms of any production issues because you just can't recover."

Hau Thai-Tang, Ford Motor Co's global purchasing chief,

warning that the recent surge in US auto production is hurting vehicle quality because automotive parts suppliers have less time to fix problems that emerge on the line, Reuters reported. Auto parts suppliers, which closed scores of factories during the financial crisis, are operating around the clock to meet consumer demand for cars and trucks that is marching toward pre-recession levels. Many analysts expect auto sales to exceed 16 million vehicles in 2014, possibly topping the 16.1 million vehicles sold in 2007.

"Everything stays the same, Letta shouldn't have made a budget to stabilize the government, he should have created one to stabilize the country."

Luigi Angeletti, head of the Italian Labor Union,

voicing opposition to the government's 2014 budget plan. Italy's three main trade union confederations will hold rolling strikes and protests against the plan, adding pressure to the coalition led by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. Laws aimed at lowering Italy's budget deficit have become a focal point of discontent against the unpopular coalition government.