News
Argentine police probe capital flight
ARGENTINA - Argentine police, probing claims of massive capital flight, have raided local offices of several major international banks.
Bank of Japan report spurs fear of new crisis
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan considers the state of the Japanese economy to be grim. In its monthly report on recent economic and financial developments, the central bank concluded that the economy was "deteriorating broadly".
European Commission predict eurozone rebound
EUROPE - The eurozone economy may have shrunk during the last three months of 2001, but it is due for a rapid rebound, the European Commission has calculated.
Mara Raubisko approved to Bank of Latvia board
LATVIA - The Bank of Latvia council today approved Mara Raubisko as chairwoman of the board at the Bank of Latvia, LETA was informed by the bank's press secretary Edzus Vejins.
China's new gold exchange delayed but not derailed
CHINA - China's plans to open a gold exchange in Shanghai early in 2002 are still intact but laws on important details, including whether to impose the value-added tax on exchange transactions, have yet to be issued, an exchange spokeswoman said on…
Argentine central bank chief Maccarone resigns
ARGENTINA - Argentina's central bank president, Roque Maccarone, criticised for his handling of government banking regulations, has resigned.
Germany on brink of recession
GERMANY - The German economy is teetering on the brink of official recession, officials have said, after figures showed growth in 2001 slowing to its lowest level for eight years.
Bank of England in legal action
UK - The Bank of England faces legal action by a mother who returned from maternity leave and was sacked for rejecting changes to its benefits package that made employees worse off, said Unifi, the banking and finance union.
Central bank chief warns on Russian reforms
RUSSIA - Russia's central bank president has cautioned against accelerating liberal economic reforms, saying it could undermine efforts to repay debt.
Beige book says US econ weak but shows improvement
US - The US economy started the new year on a weak note, although some scattered signs of improvement emerged, the Federal Reserve Beige Book survey has said.
Role of Taiwan's financial regulators to change
TAIWAN - Amid all the recent talk of possible consolidation in Taiwan's financial sector, relatively little attention has focused on what could prove the most important merger of all: that of the island's regulators.
Russia cancels export duty on gold
RUSSIA - The Russian government issued a resolution on 14 January abolishing a 5% export duty on gold, said a government source.
Fed's Ferguson sees economic rebound
US - The US economy is likely to rebound "before too long" given the stimulative impact of Federal Reserve rate cuts and the natural dynamics of the economy, said Roger Ferguson, the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
Fed's Meyer - A little inflation better than none
US - Outgoing Federal Reserve Governor Laurence Meyer said on Wednesday that the U.S. central bank's commitment to price stability should not be taken as a goal to eliminate inflation entirely.
Bank of Japan Statement - Monetary Policy Meeting
NEWS RELEASE - Statement from the Bank of Japan regarding the Monetary Policy Meeting held on 16 January 2002.
Argentina may float currency freely soon
ARGENTINA - Argentina's President Eduardo Duhalde has said that it may float the peso entirely in a few months time.
Shoppers and forgers move to euro
EUROPE - Two weeks after the launch of euro notes and coins, more than 90% of transactions in Ireland are being made in the currency, the country's official changeover body said.
O' Neill says US outlook 'positive'
US - US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has said the outlook for the world's largest economy is now "on the positive side", predicting stronger growth later on this year.
Swiss gov't resists bid to widen cen bank mandate
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss government has resisted efforts by leftists and trade unions, during a revision of the central bank law, to make the Swiss National Bank lay equal stress on growth and employment as well as fighting inflation.
SocGen halt processing of checks from Israel banks
FRANCE - French bank Societe Generale SA (F.SGF) said Wednesday it has stopped accepting checks from its correspondent banks in Israel for a temporary period of two months amid the furore over an alleged money-laundering ring.
India RBI - Easier liquidity policy boosts econ
INDIA - The Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Y.V. Reddy said Wednesday that the bank will continue to follow its easier liquidity policy to boost the economy.
BOE gold auction fifth of six planned auctions
UK - The Bank of England Wednesday auctioned 20.0 metric tons of gold, or 643,200 ounces, at an allotment price of $283.50 per troy ounce.
Sterling may not have to enter ERM to join euro
UK - Brussels has smoothed the path to British entry to the euro, by suggesting that sterling might not have first to rejoin the Exchange Rate Mechanism for two years.
China's bank chief criticises low value of yen
CHINA - The governor of China's central bank offered an unambiguous criticism on Tuesday of the Japanese yen's recent depreciation, saying it was putting pressure on the Chinese currency and would bring no good to Japan or the rest of Asia.