The disclosure that some of the world’s largest banks had been used as a conduit for bribes allegedly paid to soccer officials has prompted the banks to scrutinize their ties with FIFA, and could make it more difficult for the sport’s powerful governing body to move money around the world, The Globe and Mail reported. Major U.S. and European banks say they are stepping up scrutiny of FIFA-related accounts, and are wary in particular of ties to two regional member organizations that feature prominently in the U.S. Department of Justice’s indictment. U.S.

As it tries to negotiate a new bailout deal with creditors, Greece got some breathing room on Thursday by deferring a series of debt payments until the end of the month, the International New York Times reported. But the move, in the face of growing restiveness in Athens, amplifies the pressure on Greece and its creditors to work out their differences. While some progress has been made in recent days, Greece continues to resist certain conditions, particularly on politically difficult issues like pension cuts.

The number of mortgage accounts in arrears for two years or more continued to rise in the first three months of 2015, albeit at a slower pace than seen previously, the Irish Times reported. New figures from the Central Bank show there was an increase of just 155 accounts in arrears for over 720 during the first quarter, as against an increase of 1,729 account for the same period a year earlier. The number of accounts in arrears for over a year fell to 55,470 at the end of March, equivalent to 7.3 per cent of the total stock.

Dublin-listed oil and gas firm Aminex has secured a six month extension for the repayment of its $7.6 million corporate loan facility to allow it to complete ongoing repayment and refinancing discussions, the Irish Times reported. The group now has until January 31st to repay the loan.

Germany's Kettler, known for its Kettcar carts for kids, has filed for insolvency, the sporting goods and bicycle maker said. Privately held Kettler said on Wednesday the move had become necessary "to avoid a hostile takeover and realign the company". Christoph Schulte-Kaubruegger of law firm White & Case has been named provisional trustee for Kettler, a court filing dated Tuesday showed. The company, based in the western German town of Ense-Parsit, was founded by Heinz Kettler in 1949 and is now run by his daughter Karin Kettler.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi rejected concerns among investors that a recent rise in consumer prices could spur the bank to wind down its stimulus programs early, saying that the ECB’s bond buying program will proceed full throttle and could even be increased if needed, The Wall Street Journal reported. At a news conference following the ECB’s policy meeting, Mr. Draghi cited some recent weakness in Europe’s economy, which has recovered modestly from a pair of recessions that have rocked the eurozone since 2009.

Another round of top-level talks failed to resolve the standoff between Greece and its creditors as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras rejected proposals that would facilitate the disbursement of bailout funds necessary to avert a default, Bloomberg News reported.

Romanian state-owned power producer Hidroelectrica will hopefully exit insolvency next year, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Wednesday, adding that the government aims to list an airport and Constanta port to strengthen the bourse. Last week Reuters reported that Hidroelectrica would not exit a court-administered insolvency process this year, as initially expected, due to lengthy legal challenges. The EU state's largest and cheapest power producer was pushed back into insolvency for the second time in early 2014, and is being run by a court-appointed manager.

Bookmaker Boylesports has challenged rival Ladbrokes Ireland’s restructuring in the High Court, arguing that the process is effectively designed to prevent a takeover of the business, the Irish Times reported. Ladbrokes Ireland is working its way through a rescue plan for the loss-making chain with a High Court-appointed examiner, Ken Fennell of Deloitte. It plans to close up to 60 of its 196 betting shops in the Republic and cut some 250 jobs. Boylesports intends to launch a bid for the entire company.

Governments that face lower risks of a sovereign debt crisis are needlessly damaging their economies if they impose harsh austerity programmes simply to pay back creditors more quickly, research staff at the International Monetary Fund have warned. In a discussion note published on Tuesday, the IMF researchers said that countries with fiscal breathing room should let the ratio between debt and gross domestic product decline via higher economic growth. This means avoiding the imposition of distortive taxes or cutting productive spending in order to obtain a budget surplus.