Features

Vatican financial watchdog boasts steady progress on reform

The Vatican's financial watchdog says that after nearly 10 years of reforms, the Holy See has a "fully functioning" system of financial regulation and intelligence that is increasingly integrated into the global financial system.

Home Depot posts strong profit, revenue

Home Depot is reporting better than expected profit and revenue for the first quarter, though bad weather early in the year and an extra week in the previous fiscal year dampened the home improvement retailer's comparable store sales Those sales, watched closely by industry analysts, rose 2.5%, short of the 4.2% they were expecting, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.

Australia government says it won't break tax cut pledge

Australia's newly reelected administration says its promise to slash income taxes might be delivered late but won't be broken as the government hopes to stimulate consumer spending and revive a flagging economy.

New Zealand crews reenter coal mine 8 years after 29 killed

Crews in New Zealand have reentered an underground coal mine for the first time since a methane explosion killed 29 workers more than eight years ago, raising hopes among family members that they might find bodies and evidence that leads to criminal charges.