Pedro da Costa

Vatican financial body investigating possible money laundering

reuters.com — Credit: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi 1 of 4. Rene Bruelhart, director of the Vatican's Financial Information Authority (FIA), leaves at the end of a news conference at the Vatican May 22, 2013.

Ireland says working on new post-bailout economic plan

reuters.com — Credit: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton Ireland's Finance Minister Michael Noonan presents the budget to waiting media at the Government Buildings in Dublin December 5, 2012. Rescued by Europe and the IMF in late 2010, Ireland has consistently hit the targets set under its bailout and is set to wean itself off emergency help on schedule at the end of this year after returning to bond markets.

ECB can expand its tools to fight crisis: board member

reuters.com — Credit: Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach An illuminated euro sign is seen in front of the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in the late evening in Frankfurt January 8, 2013. Peter Praet, a member of the ECB's executive board, said a deflationary spiral must be avoided in the crisis-stricken currency block and that deleveraging by the region's banks could hurt economic growth and push the inflation rate too low.

Is Congress the ‘enabler’ of a loose Fed?

blogs.reuters.com — We heard it more than once at today's hearing of the Joint Economic Committee featuring Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke: the central bank's low interest rate policies are allowing Congress to delay tough decisions on long-term spending. As U.S. senator Dan Coats asked pointedly: "Is the Fed being an enabler for an addiction Congress can't overcome?"