EU asks Italy for tighter 2014 budget to curb debt

(Reuters) - The European Commission asked Italy on Monday to tighten its budget this year to rein in an excessive public debt but fell short of opening a disciplinary procedure against the euro zone's third largest economy.

Draghi Gets Ready to Go Negative as Inflation Sinks

Mario Draghi is preparing to lead the European Central Bank into the unknown. From negative interest rates to conditional liquidity for banks, the ECB president and his fellow policy makers have signaled all options are up for discussion when they meet on June 5.

Rebound in euro zone credit ratings: overdue or overshoot?

(Reuters) - Rating agencies are falling over each other to upgrade the euro zone's crisis countries, but with debt levels in most still rising and growth and reforms slow, the question is whether the new-found optimism has swung too far.

Britain's economic prospects brightest in more than a decade, survey finds

Britain's economic prospects are the brightest they have been in more than a decade and optimism among consumers has surged to its best level in nine years, according to separate reports published on Friday.

Asian shares at one-year high, bonds fly high on ECB hopes

(Reuters) - Global shares flirted with an all-time peak on Thursday while the euro touched its weakest in more than two months on bets the European Central Bank would unveil new stimulus measures next week.