On the plus side, German business sentiment and Eurozone purchasing managers' index readings expanded at unexpectedly rapid rates according to the FT.
On the negative side, the Asahi Shimbun says Japan's stimulus program has wastefully overestimated the demand for homebuilding program it's poured 350 billion yen (about $3.5 bn) into. Japan is facing an election in a few weeks, and the powerful building lobby certainly has something to do with that.