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Japan's fading economy
ARTICLE - Two years ago, at the height of the dot.com bubble, when there were already worries that the US boom would end in tears, it was argued that the world needed Japan to start growing again before the US stopped doing so. It didn't quite turn out…
Reducing information pollution at the ECB
ARTICLE - Conventional wisdom has it that the European Central Bank is excessively secretive and insufficiently transparent. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Testimony of Dolores Smith at the US House of Reps
TESTIMONY - Testimony of Dolores S. Smith, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 1 November.
Speech by Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke
SPEECH - Speech by Ernst Welteke, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, at Danmarks Nationalbank in Copenhagen, 29 October.
Austrian mint ready to recycle notes and coins
AUSTRIA - Austrian federal mint Muenze Oesterreich, a subsidiary of central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank (ONB), is preparing to begin melting down schilling coins following the introduction of the euro on 1 January.
Buba declines comment on job cuts report
GERMANY - The Bundesbank on Wednesday declined to comment on a newspaper report it would have to slash 6,000 jobs or around a third of its workforce under a reform aimed at streamlining its structure.
Bank of Spain criticised by anti-corruption office
SPAIN - The Spanish anti-corruption prosecution office has criticised the Bank of Spain for not helping it in the case affecting the private bank operation BBVA Privanza in the tax haven of Jersey.
Japan Shiokawa/ Hayami: Reiterate need to reflate
JAPAN - Japanese Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa told Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami on Friday he wants the BOJ to boost consumer prices back to levels seen before Japan was gripped by deflation.
Russia's plan to combat money laundering
RUSSIA - The Russian government has announced it plans to set up a financial watchdog as part of a broader effort to cut out financial crime.
Argentina announces debt 'default' plan
ARGENTINA - Argentina's President Fernando de la Rua has announced a restructuring of his country's debt which many analysts regard as a technical default.
Fed's Smith - Rates dominate credit card pricing
US - The Federal Reserve's director of consumer affairs told a house panel Thursday that interest rates have come to dominate pricing practices for credit cards in recent years, although there is little systematic information about other aspects of card…
ECB Welteke sees euro zone recovery "rather soon"
DENMARK - Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke on Monday voiced cautious optimism that the euro zone economy would recover relatively soon and reiterated recent monetary developments did not pose an inflation risk.
Sweden's Riksbank - Members voted for same rates
SWEDEN - The executive board of Sweden's Riksbank voted unanimously to hold the central bank's key repo interest rate unchanged at its 15 October meeting, according to minutes of the meeting.
Brazil c bank mulls use of derivatives on forex
BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank is considering the use of derivatives to intervene on the foreign-exchange market as of May 2002, a report said Thursday.
India rates hit lowest level since 1970s
INDIA - Interest rates in India have slid to their lowest rate for almost 30 years after the country's central bank - Reserve Bank of India (RBI) - cut interest rates by half a percentage point.
Brazil c bank to produce notes of BRR2, BRR20
BRAZIL - The central bank will launch notes in denominations of two reals and 20 reals ($1=BRR2.761) in December and next year to help save costs, O Estado de S. Paulo reported.
Philippine c bank to scrutinise money changing ops
PHILIPPINES - The Philippine central bank has said that it will closely monitor small money changing operations to plug a possible loophole in the country's new anti-money laundering legislation.
EU commission likely to propose ECB board reforms
ARTICLE - The impetus for a reform of the European Central Bank's Governing Council to prepare it for EU enlargement will almost certainly have to come from Brussels as agreement among existing ECB members will be problematic, a source close to the issue…
Bank of Japan Minutes
MINUTES - Bank of Japan, Minutes of the Monetary Policy Meeting on 18 September.
Japan toughens stance on Pakistan debt
JAPAN - Japan has said it is unlikely to ease Pakistan's debt burden any further unless the Islamabad government agrees to ban nuclear weapons tests.
Riksbank's Persson - Sweden should join EMU
SWEDEN - Sweden should enter European Economic and Monetary Union to offset the risks of price swings and better align the economy with its chief export market, the Riksbank's deputy governor, Kristina Persson, said in a speech Tuesday.
Indonesia's Sabirin convicted in Bank Bali case
INDONESIA - Indonesia's central bank governor Sjahril Sabirin was yesterday, Wednesday, convicted of fraud for his role in the 1999 politically-charged Bank Bali scandal that led to the downfall of former president B J Habibie.
Japan's puzzle - Rock bottom rates, few borrowers
ARTICLE - HIROSHIMA, JAPAN - Why does Japan's economy, despite phenomenally low interest rates, keep wasting away? The answer begins in a vegetable garden near here.
Sweden's Riksbank to sell Tumba Bruk
SWEDEN - Sweden's central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, has signed a letter of intent with Crane & Co. (CR) of the U.S. regarding the sale of AB Tumba Bruk.