United Kingdom
Cash transfers to be possible by Visa card
UK - European consumers will be able to transfer money directly between each other's Visa credit and debit cards by the autumn under plans by the card-processing network.
Speech by David Clementi, Bank of England, 14 Mar
SPEECH - In the speech titled 'A Bank for all Regions: Promoting Monetary and Financial Stability in the United Kingdom' Clementi said that interest rates in the U.K. may stay around present levels for some time to come, given the current uncertain…
Regulators and the gentle art of persuasion
LETTER - A letter published in the London edition of the Financial Times on Friday.
BoE's Clementi sees steady UK rates for some time
UK - British interest rates, on hold at a 38-year low of 4.0 percent since November, will probably stay unchanged for some time while the economy shakes off last year's downturn, a senior central bank official said on Thursday.
UK government extends Davies' term at FSA
UK - The UK government on Wednesday said it had extended the term of Sir Howard Davies as head of its chief financial regulator until January 2004, ending speculation that he may stand down to move to the Bank of England.
Some E Europe states may need longer in ERM2-Noyer
UK - European Central Bank vice-president Christian Noyer reiterated on Friday it could be desirable for some eastern European accession states to remain in the European exchange rate mechanism (ERM-II) for longer than the minimum requirement of two…
Central bank independence should be preserved-IMF
UK - The IMF on Wednesday criticised moves in Israel and Poland to limit the independence of their central banks.
Soros warns UK not to snub euro
UK - Billionaire investment guru George Soros has said that it is "impossible" for Britain to reject adoption of the euro.
UK shadow chancellor shifts on bank independence
UK - UK Chancellor Gordon Brown deserves "great credit" for his decision to give the Bank of England independence, Michael Howard has said.
Regulating the City 'costs £1bn'
UK - The cost of regulating the City is at least £1bn and the benefits are completely unclear some months after the Financial Services Authority acquired its full powers, according to research.
Banks shun online sales pitch
UK - Britain's banks and building societies are turning away from the web in their search for new customers.
Bank of England News Release
NEWS RELEASE - Bank of England Maintains Interest Rates at 4.0%, 7 March.
London gold auction ends but arguments continue
UK - The UK completed its sale on Tuesday of 400 tons of gold - a $3.5 billion stack almost as big as two London taxis.
Nobel Laureate Nash is mathematician not economist
LETTER - Letter published in the London Financial Times from Dennis Hesseling, Brussels, Belgium, 4 March. In reply to an article published recently by the newspaper.
Alan Greenspan's stock on the rise
FEATURE - Is Alan Greenspan a monetary genius with unique insight into the US economy? Or is he a central banker with a taste for obscure diction and data who nonetheless follows a simple rule?
MPC member sees room for interest rate fall
FEATURE - Kate Barker's views go against the consensus in financial markets, however.
Channel Islands agree tax haven deal
UK - Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands have signed up to an international programme to block tax evasion.
BofE's George gives evidence at Treasury Committee
FEATURE - Giving evidence to the UK House of Commons Treasury Committee on Thursday, Sir Edward George, Governor of the Bank of England, said he anticipates recovery for the UK economy but that it would be slow.
Aide warns over euro politics
UK - One of Chancellor Gordon Brown's closest aides has warned against allowing political pressures to influence the government's approach to the euro.
BofE George warns of possible threat to inflation
UK - Sir Edward George, the governor of the Bank of England, has warned of the risk that the economy will slow further at the same time as the pound falls, putting upward pressure on inflation.
Japan urged to adopt British-style economic reform
UK - The British government will today urge Japan to press ahead with privatisation and other structural reforms as the best way to pull the country out of its deepening economic crisis.
IMF's Krueger - World economy near turning point
UK - The world economy is at or near a turning point, which makes it difficult for central banks to make the right decisions on interest rates, International Monetary Fund First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger said Monday.
Bank of England News Release
News Release - HM Government Gold Auction Programme: Announcement of Auction, 26 February.
Bank of England Working Paper
RESEARCH - Bank of England Working Paper Series, How uncertain are the welfare costs of inflation? by Hasan Bakhshi, Ben Martin and Tony Yates, 22 February.