News
Report casts doubt on how Italy qualified for euro
ITALY - The government of a European Union country - understood to be Italy - used the derivatives market to camouflage the true size of its budget deficit so that it could be admitted to the European single currency, according to a report.
Early euro vote for UK in doubt
UK - Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the UK, Gordon Brown poured cold water yesterday on expectations the British government was leaning toward holding a referendum on joining the European single currency during the current parliament.
BOJ Suda - Weak yen is remedy to stop price falls
JAPAN - Bank of Japan board member Miyako Suda said Monday she believes a weak yen is an appropriate remedy to stop Japan's price declines.
Russia's Gokhran to buy gold for central bank
RUSSIA - Russian precious metals depository Gokhran will buy 40 metric tons of gold in 2002 from domestic commercial banks for the Central Bank of Russia's reserves, Gokhran official Valery Goncharov told reporters Monday.
Italy denies tricks to qualify for euro
ITALY - Italy on Monday denied a report that it had used complicated derivatives to hide the true size of its 1997 budget deficit to qualify for membership of the euro currency.
Error rate high with euro notes trial in France
FRANCE - Two months before euro notes and coins come into circulation, the financial community is concerned that cashiers in shops and banks will not be ready to use euros and detect fake notes from 1 January.
Buba Welteke - ECB rate policy no hinder to growth
GERMANY - The European Central Bank's interest rates aren't an obstacle to growth, long-term and real interest rates are low and the ECB must avoid letting long-term inflation expectations build up, Deutsche Bundesbank President Ernst Welteke repeated,…
Bank of Japan is pressured to take action
JAPAN - Japanese lawmakers tightened the screws on the Bank of Japan by advancing legislation that would force it to take more aggressive action to stimulate the world's second-largest economy.
Thai c bank reshuffle: Six assistant gov's rotated
THAILAND - Pridiyathorn leaves only three assistant heads unchanged in his major reorganisation of top-level executives.
GATA - Howe lawsuit goes to Boston hearing
US - A hearing in GATA consultant Reginald H. Howe's gold market manipulation lawsuit against the Bank for International Settlements, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and Treasury Department, and five bullion banks will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in U.S…
Envisaged scenarios of the euro changeover
RESEARCH - Regular report of the European Central Bank on Envisaged scenarios of the euro area for the 2002 cash changeover as at 26 October.
Call for big changes to global financial system
ARGENTINA - A group of former finance ministers from emerging market countries will today propose fundamental changes to the global financial system, including an international bankruptcy procedure for government borrowers.
Russian reserves growing
RUSSIA - Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves grew from $38.6 billion to a new peak of $38.8b in the period between 19 October and 26, 2001.
Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves rise
PAKISTAN - Pakistan's liquid foreign reserves rose to $3,433.9 million on 20 October from $3,351.3 million a week earlier, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
Russian c bank reserves exceed 38 bn $ - Governor
RUSSIA - The currency reserves of Russia's Central Bank are nearly 38.6 billion dollars, Bank Governor Viktor Gerashchenko has said at the Russia-Dutch economic forum in the Hague.
Kyreyev becomes new head of Ukraine nat bank dep't
UKRAINE - On 26 October, the National Bank of Ukraine appointed new head of its department for international links, Olexandr Kyreyev, NBU press service reports.
ADB keen to help Manila's money laundering rules
PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank, or ADB, is keen to help the Philippines draft rules to implement effectively Manila's new law against money laundering.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.