Central Banks
Poland makes surprise cut on signs of slowdown
The National Bank of Poland cut rates for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years on fears that the global slowdown would hamper export demand.
BoJ minutes: board divided over size of cut
The majority of the Bank of Japan's board members agreed that the central bank was right to cut rates for the first time in seven years last month. But views differed on what the size of the rate cut should be.
Icelandic governor on the defensive
David Oddsson, the chairman of the Central Bank of Iceland, has defended the institution's role in the island's economic meltdown, saying that critics had forgotten that banking supervision was transferred out of the central bank to the new Financial…
ECB's Bini Smaghi: don't use the d-word
The term deflation is often misused as a catch-all phrase to describe every kind of negative development, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board.
History doesn't repeat itself, warns BoE's Tucker
Paul Tucker, the executive director responsible for markets at the Bank of England, has warned against spending the coming decade debating special-purpose vehicles, credit-default swaps and monolines.
Emerging markets' capital inflows
A new paper from the Bank of England examines the supply of international capital flows to emerging-market economies.
China slashes rates
China chopped more than a percentage point off its lending rate on Wednesday in a further sign of Beijing's fears the global slowdown will spark a severe slump in export demand.
Ex-Fed's Volcker to head economic recovery group
Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, will head a new committee to foster growth and financial stability.
Fed looks to boost lending by financing loans
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday looked to bolster bank lending by pledging to lend up to $200 billion against highly-rated securities backed by new consumer and business loans.
Canadian deputy resigns
Sheryl Kennedy, a deputy governor at the Bank of Canada, is to leave the central bank next week.
Norwegian oil fund hit hard by crunch
The crisis in global financial markets has led Norway's Government Pension Fund to record its largest ever quarterly loss in the three months to September.
HKMA's Yue keen on Islamic finance
There is long-term potential in Islamic finance, said Eddie Yue, a deputy executive chief of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).
Papua New Guinea's Kamit praises polymer
The benefits of polymer banknotes are their cost-effectiveness, durability and greater ability to withstand counterfeiting, said Wilson Kamit, the governor of the Papua New Guinea.
Bank's Bean calls for counter-cyclical regulation
Charlie Bean, a deputy governor of Bank of England, has called for a regulatory regime that works against the natural cyclical excesses of the credit cycle.
Non-bank retail payments schemes in Canada
A new paper from the Bank of Canada provides an overview of the different kinds of non-bank retail payments schemes available in Canada.
Fed's Warsh mooted as Geithner's successor
Kevin Warsh, a governor of the Federal Reserve, has been tipped to succeed Tim Geithner at the helm of the New York Fed.
US authorities shore up Citi
Washington will invest $20 billion and insure up to $306 billion-worth of distressed assets in a bid to shore up confidence in Citi, the world's biggest bank.
Saudi cuts rates, boosts liquidity
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency made a fresh bid to boost the health of its ailing banking industry on Sunday.
Malaysia acts on signs of slowdown
Bank Negara Malaysia on Monday cut its key rate after keeping borrowing costs on hold for more than two and a half years.
Variety is key to forecasting bank rate
A range of financial instruments are needed to accurately measure expectations of future Bank of England policy rates, research by the Bank finds.
Sepa report: progress made, but more to be done
The European Central Bank has said it welcomes the evident progress made on the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) project, but has noted that work urgently needs to be done.
ECB cut "appropriate" - Belgium's Quaden
Guy Quaden, the governor of the National Bank of Belgium, has deemed the European Central Bank's half-point cut on 8 October appropriate.
Fed's Bullard sounds knell on rate moves
With the effective federal funds rate trailing the Fed's target by more than 60 basis points and interbank spreads for longer-term loans remaining well above pre-crisis levels, one of the regional Federal Reserve presidents has acknowledged further rate…
Price plunge won't herald deflation: ECB's Mersch
Though a fall in the price index at some point in 2009 is likely, such a slump should not be seen as a harbinger of deflation, Yves Mersch, the governor of the Central Bank of Luxembourg and a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council…