News
US keeps interest rates unchanged
US - The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has left interest rates unchanged Wednesday at 1.75%, saying signs for an economic recovery were "promising".
Dodge refuses to rule out common currency
CANADA - David Dodge, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Tuesday, refused to rule out the possibility that Canada and the United States could share a common currency some day, though he said a number of tough conditions would have to be met first.
Bank of Canada - Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Canada Governor reviews success of inflation targets, 29 January.
Federal Reserve Press Release, 30 January
PRESS RELEASE - The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to keep its target for the federal funds rate unchanged at 1-3/4 percent.
Globalisation forum kicks off
US - More than 3,000 of the world's movers and shakers are kicking off the World Economic Forum in the unaccustomed surroundings of bustling New York City.
Chaos in Kabul amid currency rumours
AFGHANISTAN - Afghanistan's currency markets have been plunged into chaos, amid reports that the Afghani could be abandoned temporarily for the dollar.
Court backs probe that hurts ECB hopeful Trichet
FRANCE - A French court refused on Thursday to scrap a banking scandal inquiry that is hurting Paris's hopes of making Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet president of the European Central Bank, a lawcourts official said.
Russian Ctrl Bk reserves $36.2B 25 January
RUSSIA - The Russian central bank said Thursday that its level of foreign-exchange and gold reserves dropped $300 million to $36.2 billion, in the week to 25 January.
Top civil servant to be new governor in Ireland
IRELAND - Mr John Hurley, the senior civil servant in the Department of Finance, will be the new governor of the Central Bank. The incumbent, Mr Maurice O'Connell, has indicated to the Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy that he will be stepping…
Brazil to handle exchange interventions online
BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank will transfer intervention operations in the currency exchange market to an online system, Central Bank Monetary Policy Directory Luiz Fernando Figueiredo said late Wednesday.
ECB and BoE - distinguishing features
UK - Analysts often laud the speed of the Fed's response times, like the BoE's, to changes in the business climate, while they decry the supposed "slowness" and unpredictable nature of the ECB.
IMF's Koehler urges coherent plan from Argentina
US - The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday urged Argentine authorities to develop a comprehensive and coherent economic strategy that the lender can back with loans.
Press Release from the Bank of Canada
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Canada Governor reviews key developments of last year, 28 January.
US economy shows unexpected strength
US - The US economy grew 0.2% in the last three months of 2001, official data has shown.
Bank of England - News Release
NEWS RELEASE - Financial Sanctions: Afghanistan (Taliban and Usama Bin Laden), 28 January 2002.
ECB on collision course over plan to regulate EU
EUROPE - The European Central Bank has put itself on a collision course with European financial regulators, including Britain's Financial Services Authority, over the ECB's ambitions to play a role in banking supervision.
Regulator warns about health of insurance industry
UK - The Financial Services Authority has warned that it is important for the long-term health of the insurance industry and clients that its capital base is strengthened.
China vows to safeguard stability of stock market
CHINA - China has promised investors to safeguard the "stability" of the stock market after a week of sharp price movements triggered by continuing confusion over the sale of the controlling stake held in most listed companies by government entities.
MPs send amendment to law on CNB to final reading
CZECH REPUBLIC - The Chamber of Deputies today sent to a final reading the government-sponsored amendment to the law on the Czech National Bank (CNB), which corrects the drawbacks of the previous amendment criticised by the European Union.
IMF supports Indonesian plan for independent team
INDONESIA - Finance Minister Boediono said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lent its support to plans to create an independent team to determine the burden-sharing for the controversial Bank Indonesia emergency loan (BLBI).
Peru's central bank moves to inflation targeting
PERU - Peru's central bank has made inflation targeting its main tool for signalling the direction of monetary policy, Central Reserve Bank of Peru President Richard Webb said Tuesday.
Reserve Bank of Australia - Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE - Senior Management Changes, 29 January.
Hayami says weak yen no solution to Japan's woes
JAPAN - Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami said on Tuesday it was neither possible nor desirable for Japan to try manipulating foreign exchange rates, maintaining that a weaker yen was no solution to its economic woes.
Fischer suggests managed floating currency system
INDIA - The Indian monetary policy of not trying to peg a particular value for the rupee was good economics, Stanley Fischer said here today. The former first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund was speaking at a seminar organised…