News
Ex-governor knocks RBA as rates hit 12-year high
Bernie Fraser, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, has spoken out against the decision to raise rates to a fresh 12-year high.
Canada chops half a point off rates
The Bank of Canada has cut rates by 50 basis points to 3.5% amid fears of a more severe slowdown in the US.
Central banks to review liquidity rules
Central banks are collectively considering alterations to the provision of emergency liquidity, Paul Tucker, the executive director responsible for markets at the Bank of England, said at a conference organised by the Financial Markets Group of the…
Greece goes on strike
Bank of Greece staff have walked out in protest against pension reform.
Strauss-Kahn complains of "overly powerful" ECB
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has said that the lack of a political counterweight for the European Central Bank (ECB) has made the institution too powerful.
Rating agencies at core of lawmakers' grievances
An influential group of British members of parliament has slammed the big ratings agencies for their role in the subprime crisis.
Former Hungarian governor joins race for EBRD job
Budapest has nominated Gyorgy Suranyi, a former governor of the National Bank of Hungary, to succeed Jean Lemierre as president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Tokyo to set up wealth fund, says report
The Japanese authorities may be hatching plans to start a sovereign wealth fund.
Fed auctions to run into March
The Federal Reserve is set to continue its Term Auction Facility operations into March, pledging another $60 billion to alleviate money market tensions.
Japan premier calls for unity on governor vote
Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, has urged members of the country's two main political parties to cooperate on appointing a successor to Toshihiko Fukui, the outgoing governor of the Bank of Japan.
Bernanke spooks markets with bank failure warning
The dollar hit a record low against the euro after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that small banks could fail in the coming months.
Japan's Mizuno dismisses rate cut calls
Atsushi Mizuno, a member of the Bank of Japan's rate-setting council, has said a rate cut would be unjustified even on signs that the world's second-largest economy is slowing.
Thailand lifts barriers on foreign capital
The Bank of Thailand is set to remove reserve requirements on short-term capital inflows.
Czech deputy counters interference claims
Miroslav Singer, a vice-governor at the Czech National Bank (CNB), has rebuffed claims that the Vaclav Klaus, the country's president, is compromising the institution's independence.
Sovereign wealth fund round-up
The creation of a much-mooted code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds edged closer this week after the European Commission submitted its ideas to the region's finance ministers for review in mid-March.
EU should be "driving force" in SWF regulation
The EU should be at the forefront of the effort to supervise sovereign wealth fund investments, the European Commission has said.
UAE governor rejects Greenspan advice
The United Arab Emirates will keep the dirham pegged to the dollar despite calls from former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan to float its currency.
Political scrap over governor may embarrass Japan
A spat between Japan's two main political parties is threatening to undermine the central bank's credibility by leaving it without an official governor when Toshihiko Fukui's term expires in the middle of next month.
Fed exacerbating stagflation risk: Meltzer
The Federal Reserve's current policies mark a return to the dark days of the 1970s and carry the same threats, says Allan Meltzer, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
SWFs to cover bank shortfall for private equity?
Not content with buying up sizable stakes in the big investment banks, sovereign wealth funds could now take their business as well.
Norway posts $3.4 billion loss
The Bank of Norway was NKr17.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in the red last year, accounts published on Thursday 28 February reveal.
Zhou set to stay at People's Bank?
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, could remain governor of the central bank according to local media reports.
Bernanke changes tack, cautions on inflation
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has said that the inflation picture in the US has worsened since the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) last met.
Markets underestimate ECB's inflation fears
Bets on interest rate decisions fail to take into account the seriousness of the inflation situation in the eurozone, said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank who also sits on the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council.