NEW rules to ensure greater transparency in the ways credit rating agencies work have been agreed by the European Commission — but proposals to suspend ratings for countries in debt programmes, such as Ireland, were taken off the table.

THE Government is willing to consider much greater changes to the EU treaties than just tighter budgetary control, European Minister Lucinda Creighton has said.

THE full-body scanner that performs a virtual strip search principally at airports will have to conform to a series of rules aimed at addressing privacy fears.

THE EU is appointing a special representative for the Horn of Africa, focusing firstly on Somalia, the country plagued by famine and war.

DESPITE their name, RIP cigarettes are designed to save lives.

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny this week has an opportunity to turn his famed ability to connect with ordinary citizens to connect with the country most likely to decide our future — Germany.

THE prospect of technocrat-led governments in both Greece and Italy calmed markets but volatility is expected to return next week as both regimes attempt to push through austerity measures.

KEVIN CARDIFF, the Government’s controversial nomination to the European Court of Auditors, has been described as a very credible appointment by the outgoing Irish auditor, Eoin O’Shea.

AUDITORS discovered there was €5.7 billion missing from the EU’s accounts in what was described as a “significant error” by Ireland’s outgoing member of the court of auditors.

THE EU economy is moving into dangerous territory with growth slowing to stagnation and a new recession looming large, according to the latest forecast.