Japan Stands Pat on Stimulus Program

TOKYO — The Bank of Japan stuck with its monetary stimulus program on Wednesday, brushing off a lack of inflation two years after it vowed to pull the economy out of more than a decade of falling prices.

Gold Advances to Week-High as U.S. Jobs Data Clouds Rate Outlook

Gold climbed for a second day after data showing the weakest pace of U.S. hiring in more than a year clouded the outlook for interest-rate increases.

British Regulator to Examine Competition in Investment Banking

LONDON — The Financial Conduct Authority of Britain said on Thursday that it planned to review whether competition was working properly in the corporate and investment banking sectors.

IMF's Lagarde says euro zone exit would be 'devastating' for Greece

(Reuters) - An exit by Greece from the euro area would be devastating for the country, the head of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday.

Raise UK interest rates now, says Bank of England policymaker

The Bank of England should begin raising interest rates now, because spare capacity in Britain’s fast-recovering economy could be used up by the middle of next year, adding to inflation pressures, a Bank policymaker said in a Sunday newspaper.

Ukraine crisis: EU adopts new sanctions on Russia

European Union member states have formally adopted new sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

ECB cuts rates to ward off euro zone deflation threat

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank cut interest rates to new record lows on Thursday, unexpectedly lowering borrowing costs to try to lift inflation from rock-bottom levels and support the stagnating euro zone economy.

Russia's Gazprombank says EU sanctions will not affect its financial stability

MOSCOW, July 31 (Reuters) - The inclusion of Gazprombank in the latest round of EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis will not affect the bank's financial stability or its ability to fulfil obligations to lenders and investors, the company said on Thursday.

Many investors face Scotland exit risk unprotected

(Reuters) - Less than two months before an independence vote that could ultimately tear apart a G7 country, investors in financial markets seem largely unmoved.

IMF's Lagarde says financial markets 'perhaps too upbeat' on Europe

(Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund warned on Friday that financial markets were "perhaps too upbeat" because high unemployment and high debt in Europe could drag down investment and hurt future growth prospects.

BIS: Central banks warned of 'false sense of security'

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned that ultra-low interest rates have lulled governments and markets "into a false sense of security".

Italy's Berlusconi says he was forced out by EU 'plot'

(Reuters) - Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi repeated accusations on Wednesday that he had been forced out of office at the height of the euro zone crisis in 2011 as the result of a plot by European Union officials.

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.

UK weighs introducing criminal sanctions against energy firms

LONDON: Britain is considering introducing criminal sanctions against energy firms that manipulate the market at the expense of consumers, energy minister Ed Davey said on Thursday.

U.S. May Join Germany of 1933 in Pantheon of Defaults

Reneging on its debt obligations would make the U.S. the first major Western government to default since Nazi Germany 80 years ago.

US debt ceiling: What we wake up to on October 18

One cannot rule out the possibility of some sort of a technical default before a compromise is reached on debt ceiling, says Alastair Newton, Senior Political Analyst, Nomura - the one who predicted a red October as early as July.

IMF sees U.S. default as unlikely, but could be 'devastating'

(Reuters) - A U.S. debt default is an unlikely event, but one that could have catastrophic consequences for the world, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

IMF calls for further action to solve eurozone crisis

The International Monetary Fund has called for more action to end the crisis in the eurozone. The IMF wants greater progress made on repairing the balance sheets of banks, so that lending can be kick-started.

Italy's borrowing costs fall in bond sale

MILAN: Italy's borrowing costs fell on Tuesday in a bond auction that raised 3.5 billion euros ($4.5 billion), a day before the country is likely to exit the European Union's excessive deficit procedure.

Euro Resilient Amid Doubts of Turmoil as Dire: Cutting Research

The euro has often ignored policy maker pronouncements and “danced to its own tune” during the region’s sovereign debt crisis, according to a working paper published by the European Central Bank.