Central Banks
A banker's take on the year to come
The financial crisis is set to escalate in the New Year and it is difficult to see a way out, Matt King, a credit strategist at Citi, a bank, has said.
Buba's Weber: room for more monetary easing
Euro-area monetary policy has enough leeway for further easing if necessary, said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank.
Australia's point cut marks seven-year low
The Reserve Bank of Australia has slashed its key rate by a full percentage point to 4.25%, its lowest level since December 2001.
Bernanke signals shift to quantitative easing
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has hinted that the central bank will turn increasingly to its armoury of quantitative easing tools with its stock of rate cuts almost spent.
British PM denies UK close to joining euro
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, has denied the UK plans to join the eurozone after the European Commission president said Britain was "closer than ever before" to adopting the single currency.
Former Austrian governor dies
Wolfgang Schmitz, a former president of the National Bank of Austria, has died at the age of 85.
Kenya cuts despite inflation's persistence
The Central Bank of Kenya cut its key rate to 8.5% and its cash reserve requirement by a full percentage point on signs of a slowdown on Monday but warned inflation remained a concern.
Turkey's Yilmaz in call for global LoLR
The most important lesson from the current financial turmoil is the need for a global lender of last resort, said Durmus Yilmaz, the governor of the Central Bank of Turkey.
Commodities have small impact on US inflation
The effects of crop and energy price movements on US inflation are smaller than commonly thought, finds a new paper from the New York Federal Reserve.
Brazil's Meirelles: Bretton Woods needs a rethink
Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank need to address their legitimacy as part of the policy debate on a Bretton Woods II, said Henrique Meirelles, the governor of the Central Bank of Brazil.
Rates should respond to asset prices: Buba
Monetary policy has to take asset price developments into account, finds a new paper from the Bundesbank.
Turkey justifies November cut
The Central Bank of Turkey's rate-setting committee opted to cut rates earlier this month on signs inflation would fall more rapidly than expected, the minutes of the meeting reveal.
Shirakawa signals relaxation of collateral rules
Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan, indicated on Monday that the central bank would soon relax its collateral rules as stress in markets for bank financing intensified.
Riksbank brings rate decision forward to Thursday
The Riksbank has opted to bring its rate decision forward a fortnight to this Thursday, coinciding with the European Central Bank's (ECB) and the Bank of England's votes.
New York Fed starts search for Geithner successor
The New York Federal Reserve has set up a panel to search for a successor to Tim Geithner, the current president of the central bank who was last week announced as the new treasury secretary.
UK "closer than ever" to euro adoption: EU head
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, has said Britain is as near as it has ever been to joining the eurozone.
Mexico hints at cut on signs of slowdown
The Bank of Mexico kept rates on hold for the third straight month on Friday, but signalled it could soon cut.
Euro prices, jobs plunge, paving way for big cut
The chances of the European Central Bank's Governing Council making their biggest-ever cut next week rose on Friday after inflation plummeted to just above the central bank's target and unemployment rose.
Rate cuts not working: Riksbank's Nyberg
The impact of the Riksbank's rate cuts on the real economy has been weakened by a breakdown in the monetary transmission mechanism, Lars Nyberg, a deputy governor at the central bank, has said.
Basel Committee tackles fair-value rules
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has responded to the furore surrounding mark-to-market rules and published a consultative paper on fair-value practices.
Russia hikes to strengthen rouble
The Central Bank of Russia has raised its key rate by a full percentage point to a three-year high in a bid to shore up the battered rouble.
India to lend FX until July to counter stress
The Reserve Bank of India has agreed to support the overseas operations of its banks by providing three-month foreign-currency loans until next July.
Why Canada avoided the worst of the crunch
Canada avoided the worst effects of the turmoil due to conservative lending practices of the country's banks, said Pierre Duguay, a deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.
ECB evaluates banks' liquidity stress tests
European Union banks' liquidity stress testing techniques are highly diverse, finds a new report from the European Central Bank.