News
Chile holds rates at 5.75%
The Central Bank of Chile's policy board voted to keep its benchmark rate at 5.75% despite mounting concern over rising inflation.
Canada's Macklem to move to finance ministry
Tiff Macklem, a deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, is to move to the Department of Finance on 1 November.
Korea holds rates at highest level for six years
The Bank of Korea's rate-setting board decided to leave its benchmark rate at a six-year high of 5% on Thursday.
UK regulators launch reform paper
Alistair Darling, the UK chancellor of the exchequer, announced on Thursday the publication of a banking reform discussion paper, written by the Treasury, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Bank of England.
Private sector urges cooperation on rulemaking
The Institute of International Finance (IIF), a global association of finance institutions, called for central bankers and finance ministries to ensure that the regulatory response to the current crisis complements reforms pursued by the private sector.
Japan holds rates at 0.5%
The Bank of Japan's rate-setting committee voted eight to one in favour of maintaining their benchmark rate at about 0.5% on Thursday.
South Africa hikes rates by 50 basis points
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) surprised markets on Thursday, pushing its benchmark rate up by half a percentage point to 10.5%.
Singapore continues currency appreciation
The Monetary Authority of Singapore said on Thursday that it would continue to strengthen the value of the Singapore dollar relative to its US counterpart.
UK financial sanctions: shift in responsibility
Responsibility for financial sanctions is being transferred from the Bank of England to the Treasury on 24 October.
Crisis shows why we need Basel II, says Committee
The recent banking crisis has underlined the importance of Basel II implementation, according to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
Fed unanimously supported 50 basis point cut
All ten members of rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) were in favour of 50 basis point cut, the minutes of the 18 September meeting reveal.
Latin America set to escape worst of turmoil
Rodrigo de Rato, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expects Latin America to avoid most of the effects of the recent financial turmoil, though its economy may be hampered by the aftermath.
King names lessons learned from crisis
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, said on Tuesday he had identified three lessons, so far, from the banking crisis.
Sales remain within Gold Agreement Limit
Gold sales by the 16 signatories to the Central Bank Gold Agreement between 27 September 2006 and 26 September 2007 amounted to 475.75 tonnes, 24.25 tonnes shy of the 500 limit, the Bank for International Settlements said on Wednesday.
King speaks on Northern Rock
Three weeks ago, thousands of depositors queued on the streets outside branches of Northern Rock to take their money out. Those scenes, broadcast around the world, were shocking. How did they come about and how can we prevent them in future? My focus…
FSA chief admits failings over Northern Rock
Hector Sants, the chief executive of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) said on Tuesday that it had failed to anticipate the impact of the credit crunch on Northern Rock, a UK mortgage lender.
EU discusses regulatory response to crisis
EU finance ministers met in Luxembourg on Tuesday to consider a regulatory response to the financial crisis.
UK bankers call for global review of credit crunch
The British Bankers' Association (BBA), the trade body for the finance industry in the UK, has said that a worldwide regulatory review would help markets weather the credit crunch.
Lessons for the UK - BBA
The British Bankers' Association (BBA) has suggested a review of the recently revised money market framework and the move towards principles-based regulation.
Currency rise wanted by EU chiefs
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank; Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg; and Joaquin Almunia, the European commissioner for monetary affairs said on Monday that they wanted the renminbi, the dollar, and the…
Open-ended guarantee for Northern Rock depositors
At the request of Northern Rock, the UK Treasury has agreed to extend the guarantee arranged in mid-September for retail depositors to any new deposits savers make or have made since 19 September. The guarantee will remain in place "during the current…
Currency diversification by Central Bank of Russia
The Central Bank of Russia has added the Swiss franc to the currency composition of its foreign exchange reserves and is considering other plans to diversify their structure, Alexei Ulyukayev, its first deputy chairman, has said.
World Bank to invest $5 billion in bonds for poor
The World Bank will set up a $5 billion fund to invest in bonds denominated in currencies of poor nations.
Padoa-Schioppa to chair IMFS
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italy's economy and finance minister, is to head the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC).