Central Banks
Fund confirms Blanchard appointment
Amidst the departure of several high-ranking staff, the International Monetary Fund has announced the appointment of Olivier Blanchard, the highly respected professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as its new chief economist and…
Norway holds rates as inflation creeps up
Norway's central bank kept its policy rate at 5.5% in the face of above-target inflation, concerns over continued market turbulence and signs of slowing growth.
Poland leaves rates unchanged
The ten-strong rate setting council of the National Bank of Poland voted to keep its reference rate at 5.75% as inflation fell but remained above target.
Is Iran's Mazaheri to be replaced?
Sections of the Iranian media have reported that Tahmasb Mazaheri, the governor of the country's central bank, is to be replaced less than nine months after taking the top job.
Political spat threatens further BoJ appointments
Japan's main opposition party has rejected yet another candidate for a senior role at the Bank of Japan.
Netherlands to probe effect of bankers' pay
The Netherlands Bank is to scrutinise the impact of bankers' bonuses on risk taking, the governor of the institution has said.
Greenspan cautions on bursting bubbles
Alan Greenspan has defended one of the central tenets of his tenure at the helm of the Federal Reserve, warning that combating asset price bubbles could stunt innovation and growth.
Finland rakes in €10m from property sale
The Bank of Finland has made about €10m ($15.7m) from the sale of an apartment block in the centre of Helsinki.
IMF urges central bankers to hike rates
Policymakers would be better off reacting to the recent surge in commodity prices by raising rates, new research published by the International Monetary Fund states.
RBA suggests settlement system improvements
The Reserve Bank of Australia has unveiled a series of recommendations aimed at improving the settlement process of, and broader market functioning for, Australian equities.
Former Bank of Italy chief to stand trial
Antonio Fazio, a former governor of the Bank of Italy, will go to court in October to answer questions over his alleged role in a takeover scandal.
Norwegian SWF in the red for Q1
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global recorded a loss of 5.6% for the three months to March on the back of the slump in global equity markets.
Likely Greek governor leaves commercial bank
George Provopoulos, the favourite to succeed Nicholas Garganas at the helm of the Bank of Greece, has resigned as chief executive of Piraeus Bank.
Spreads a poor gauge of crisis: Canada's Carney
Existing measures of interbank spreads are an unreliable way of measuring the effectiveness of central bank intervention in alleviating money-market tensions, said Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada.
De La Rue could sell cash systems division
De La Rue, the biggest private printer of banknotes, is considering the sale of some of its cash systems division.
Don't just focus on rates: Japan's Shirakawa
Though the increased attention given to monetary policy is welcomed, other aspects of central banking should receive more publicity, said Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan.
How globalisation impacts rate-setting in India
Despite a relatively low degree of openness, India's domestic monetary conditions are highly influenced by global factors, research published by the International Monetary Fund finds.
Ex-Tanzanian governor Ballali dead
Daudi Ballali, the former governor of the Bank of Tanzania who was sacked in January, has died.
Iceland confounds expectations with rate hold
The Central Bank of Iceland surprised markets on Thursday, opting to hold rates, rather than raise them.
Swiss Re's Raaflaub to head new regulator
Patrick Raaflaub, the head of group capital management at Swiss Re, a reinsurance company, will direct Switzerland's new super regulator the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
Pakistan raises rates 150bp
The State Bank of Pakistan hiked rates to 12% on Thursday.
Fed minutes reveal some reluctance to cut rates
Most members of the Federal Open Market Committee viewed the decision to cut rates by a quarter point in April as a close call, the minutes of the meeting reveal.