News
Help at hand for Kenya's bond market
The Central Bank of Kenya is working with International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and other stakeholders to help the development of the country's bond market and increase long-term financing options for projects in…
Shirakawa gets DPJ blessing, poised to lead BoJ
Masaaki Shirakawa, the acting governor of the Bank of Japan, looks likely to get the job formally after a senior opposition official indicated he would back his appointment.
Sovereign wealth funds being "unfairly treated"
Jesse Wang, vice president and chief risk officer of China Investment Corporation (CIC), has said that sovereign wealth funds are not receiving fair treatment in international markets.
Sri Lanka's sovereign rating lowered
Sri Lanka's sovereign rating was lowered by Fitch Ratings one notch to B-plus on 3 April, because of rising inflation, a worsening trade balance and a rising fiscal deficit.
India's inflation surge may mean rate rise
India's key inflation rate rose to a three-year high, said the government on 4 April, raising the possibility of a rate rise being imposed by the Reserve Bank of India.
New UK coinage meets lukewarm reception
New coin and banknote designs are almost inevitably greeted with criticism and the first new coin designs for 40 years from the UK's Royal Mint, unveiled on 3 April, were no exception. Historians, designers and MPs have already criticised them.
Bernanke voices US growth concerns
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that the country's economy was unlikely to grow much, if at all, this year, and "might even contract slightly".
Lenders expect further credit cutbacks: BoE poll
The Bank of England's quarterly survey of credit conditions, published on 3 April, showed that lenders had reduced the supply of secured credit to households over the three months to mid-March.
Tokyo wants new governor by next week
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party wants a new central bank governor in place by next week in time for the meeting in Washington of G7 finance ministers, Nobutaka Machimura, Japan's cabinet secretary, said on 3 April.
New members of Bank of Korea's MPC
Lee Myung-bak, the president of South Korea, has appointed three professors as new members of the Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Committee.
Iceland's Fridriksson dismisses stability concerns
In an effort to reassure investors, Ingimundur Fridriksson, a board member at the Central Bank of Iceland, has denied that the country's banks and economy are unstable.
We had no choice, Bernanke tells lawmakers
The Federal Reserve had no choice but to intervene and put taxpayers' money at risk earlier this month by backing a fire sale of the assets of Bear Stearns, a leading American investment bank, its chairman said on Wednesday in testimony before US…
Auction shows massive demand for ECB cash
The European Central Bank's (ECB) first-ever auction of six-month loans was more than four times oversubscribed, indicating the high level of tension in the region's money markets.
New governor proposed for Bank Indonesia
Boediono, Indonesia's chief economics minister, has been nominated for the top job at the country's central bank.
Nigeria raises rates 50bp, flags further hikes
Nigeria's central bank raised rates to 10% and warned that policy would need to tighten in the future with "huge fiscal injections" expected.
UAE governor urges fiscal frugality
Sultan Bin Nasser Al-Suwaidi, the governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, warned that inflation could accelerate further if the government failed to curb spending.
FSF to suggest radical solutions to turmoil
The Financial Stability Forum (FSF) is set to propose a series of unorthodox measures for fighting the credit crunch, say media reports.
Sri Lanka rebuts IMF report
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has countered claims, made in an International Monetary Fund report, that poor decision-making has contributed to high inflation in the country.
Bank of Japan survey shows confidence on the wane
The Bank of Japan is likely to adopt a more dovish monetary policy stance and revise growth estimates downwards on the back of a poorer-than-expected Tankan survey.
Australia leaves rates at 12-year high
The Reserve Bank of Australia left rates at 7.25% - their highest level since April 2006.
Hungary raises rates by half a point
The National Bank of Hungary hiked rates by 50 basis points on Monday 31 March from 7.5% to 8%.
Major reforms in view for IMF
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed a resolution that would achieve a major change in the representation of many emerging countries as well as allowing poorer countries a bigger say in the way the Fund is run.
Treasury shake-up to grant Fed more power
The US Treasury has unveiled a series of recommendations for a major restructuring of financial services regulation, which will allot broad new powers to the Federal Reserve to attack systems risk, including the ability to send SWAT teams into any…
"Unscrupulous dealers" attacking Iceland's economy
David Oddsson, the chairman of the board of directors at the Central Bank of Iceland, suspects that "unscrupulous dealers" are trying to bring down the Icelandic financial system by circulating rumours about the country's bank and central government.