News
Sarrazin quits Bundesbank
Bundesbank executive board member Thilo Sarrazin leaves central bank after other board members called for his dismissal over anti-Semitic remarks
Britain names new head of fiscal watchdog
Institute for Fiscal Studies director Robert Chote is chancellor George Osborne’s choice to head government’s Office for Budget Responsibility; Chote likely to be approved by Treasury Select Committee
Pakistan confirms Kardar as governor
Former regional finance minister Shahid Kardar appointed as governor of State Bank of Pakistan for three-year term
OECD warns on global slowdown
G7 growth set to slow to 1.5% in the second half of the year; chief economist advocates more QE if slowdown does become entrenched
Beige Book points to gloomy outlook for US economy
Reports from twelve regional Federal Reserve districts add further weight to fears of double dip; say weakness in housing market tempering recovery
Subbarao concerned over Basel III countercyclical measures
Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao cites concern over variable likely to be used to calibrate countercyclical buffers
Dublin to split troubled lender
Anglo Irish to be split after more than a year-and-a-half of state ownership
Basel Committee has agreed on capital ratio: Buba’s Zeitler
Senior officials set to meet on Sunday to discuss the proposal
International bodies fulfil G20 recommendation on information gaps
European Central Bank, Bank for International Settlements and IMF publish second part of Securities Statistics Handbook to address information gaps
Hungary told to lift cap on central bankers’ pay
European Commission says Hungary could face legal action if it does not lift salary cap on central bank employees
Pakistan set to pick bureaucrat as next governor
Islamabad looks likely to break with trend and pick former government official Shahid Kardar as next State Bank of Pakistan governor, reports say
EXCLUSIVE: Don’t rely on near-zero rates, says Rajan
Former IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan warns the Federal Reserve has no quick fixes to solve United States’ economic ills but says Bernanke right man for the job
De La Rue says staff falsified banknote tests
Banknote printer says investigation into printing irregularities has revealed staff at Hampshire plant deliberately falsified paper specification tests
Margaret Cole joins UK FSA Board
Financial Services Authority promotes Margaret Cole to board as managing director of enforcement and financial crime
Banks upped exposure to troubled eurozone states in first quarter: BIS
Bank for International Settlements says first quarter figures show exposure to Portugal, Greece and Spain grew, in spite of default worries
Afghanistan’s Fitrat says Kabul Bank no longer in danger: reports
Bank of Afghanistan governor Abdul Qadeer Fitrat claims beleaguered Kabul Bank is out of danger, despite continued run on bank, reports say
Adia appoints new chief economist
Chief economist Ted Chu joins Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund from General Motors
ECB documents success of eurozone retail payment systems
European Central Bank releases comprehensive overview of the payments systems, including underlying concepts and the role of the central bank; book notes success of Step1 commercial payment system
ECB’s González-Páramo highlights flaws in collateral framework
European Central Bank executive board member José Manuel González-Páramo acknowledges risks in central bank’s willingness to accept broad range of collateral
Settlement system gets go-ahead from RBNZ
Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Securities Commission give “statutory backing” country’s third settlement system; system a joint venture between central bank and stock exchange operator
Banks need more time to reform pay standards: IIF
Institute of International Finance says lenders need more than year to bring pay standards in line with Financial Stability Board’s principles; regulators must speed up coordination efforts
Trichet to be first head of European Systemic Risk Board
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet will chair continent’s new systemic risk board until the end of his term; proposal reflects compromise between parliament and national governments
MEPs win out on powers for new European supervisory bodies
Pan-European authorities will have the power to impose emergency measures and intervene with financial institutions, after parliamentarians gained ground in compromise agreement
Fuld and Fed’s Baxter at odds over Lehman failure
Ex-Lehman Brothers’ chief Dick Fuld blames Federal Reserve for failure of investment bank; New York Fed general counsel Thomas Baxter says central bank could not have provided liquidity lifeline