Central Banking
Regulation of public services in Italy
A paper from the Bank of Italy outlines the evolution of the regulatory framework for the supply of local public utilities, social and health services in Italy since the early 1990s.
Sri Lanka's Cabraal: improve services
Sri Lanka needs to focus more on the services sector, said Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Global stock markets plunge on banking fears
The Dow Jones average of shares listed in New York sank below 10,000 for the first time since 2004 as equities markets around the world plunged on signs that troubles in the global banking system had further intensified over the weekend.
Iceland suspends bank shares, offers guarantee
Iceland has halted trading on stocks in its beleaguered banks and guaranteed all customer deposits in a bid to stop a raft of selling on signs the country's banking system is near to collapse.
Ex-Fed's Volcker demands regulatory overhaul
Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, has urged regulators to enhance supervision on both a national and international level in the aftermath of the global turmoil.
Fed to offer further funds, pay interest
The Federal Reserve on Monday announced further measures to shore up ailing money markets, pledging to inject $600 billion in longer-term funds.
Denmark, Germany step up deposit guarantees
The Danish and German authorities have become the latest countries to raise their deposit guarantees to prop up their battered banking sectors.
Financial instability hurts corporate
Financial stability is connected to corporate investment and deterioration in the health of the financial sector can restrain macroeconomic performance, finds a new study from the Federal Reserve.
Old Lady bows to markets, expands collateral pool
The paralysis in money markets has forced the Bank of England to accept poorer quality collateral, underlining the extent to which interbank conditions have worsened in recent weeks.
Ireland's Hurley justifies 100% guarantee
John Hurley, the governor of the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland, has defended Dublin's pledge to guarantee all deposits in its six biggest lenders.
Banks push for global bailout
Banks have urged officials from around the world to cooperate on a global response to the financial crisis.
Zimbabwe halts e-transfers, inflation at 531 bn%
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Friday halted electronic transfers as the currency plunged to a fresh low. News of the stoppage follows a new estimate puts Zimbabwean annual inflation at 531 billion percent.
Wells Fargo bids for Wachovia
Wells Fargo, a US bank, looks set to snag Wachovia from Citigroup, the world's biggest lender, after offering $15.1 billion for the troubled bank. The move could see the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which manages the US's deposit…
ECB's Bini-Smaghi: tackle conflicts of interest
The main problem with financial markets comes from conflicts of interest at all levels, said Lorenzo Bini-Smaghi, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
Bundesbank's Weber on monetary policy
Monetary policy should react to the financial cycle in a more symmetric way, said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank.
Benefits of remittances overstated
The economy-wide benefits of remittances may be overstated, finds a new paper from the International Monetary Fund.
Wages and prices determined by shocks
New research from the Bank of Portugal finds that import-price and unemployment shocks lead to wage and price rises in the Portuguese economy.
House passes bailout plan
The House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress, has backed a revised version of the Treasury's $700 billion plan to tackle the financial crisis.
US can learn from Sweden's banking crisis
A new research paper prepared for the US congress draws lessons for the US from Sweden's banking crisis in the early 1990s.
Fed deserves praise for online efforts
As the international financial system totters, the Federal Reserve banks are making full use of their websites to keep the public informed, says David Bowen, a senior consultant at Bowen Craggs, web advisers.
Atlanta's Lockhart: financial sector matters
A working financial sector matters to us all, said Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve.
Phillips curve is flattening
A new paper from the Reserve Bank of Australia finds that the Phillips curve, which measures the relationship between unemployment and inflation, has flattened in recent years.
Trichet comments raise prospect of December cut
The European Central Bank (ECB) kept rates on hold again on Thursday, but more-dovish-than expected comments from Jean-Claude Trichet, the central bank's president, signalled the Governing Council could cut before the end of 2008.
EU economists demand systemic response
A group of Europe's most prominent economists on Thursday urged Brussels to re-capitalise the continent's battered banking sector or risk the crisis spiralling out of control.