Central Banking
Bank of Japan warns of recession
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan has acknowledged the world's second largest economy will shrink this year by cutting a growth forecast for 2001 that many economists have long viewed as unrealistic.
Japanese output slumps
JAPANESE - Industrial production in the world's second largest economy slumped by a worse-than-expected 2.9% in September following last month's attacks on the US.
Japan in new territory after two years deflation
JAPAN - The Japanese government admitted Friday that the country had notched up two entire years of deflation - a phenomenon not seen since the second world war in an industrialised country and only rarely experienced in history.
Fed's Poole - More rate cuts to be made if needed
US - The U.S. economy may show some signs of recovery toward the end of this year, said William Poole, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Emergency meeting on terrorist funds
US - An international taskforce is to hold an emergency meeting in Washington to decide what can be done to trace and block terrorist funds.
Several ECB members wanted 11 Oct rate cut: Report
GERMANY - Several members of the European Central Bank's governing council wanted to cut interest rates at its 11 October meeting in Vienna, according to a report to be published late Monday in French daily Le Monde.
Trichet: Have confidence in inflation deceleration
FRANCE - Bank of France Governor and European Central Bank Executive Board member Jean-Claude Trichet said Friday that he's confident inflation in the euro zone will continue to decelerate.
Ukraine attractive to foreign investors - Nat Bank
UKRAINE - The economy of Ukraine is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign investors, a Ukrainian source quotes Anatoliy Shapovalov, First Deputy Board Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, as saying in a speech.
Omani banks form national ATM network
OMAN - A deal to form a national ATM network called Oman Switch by merging Shamel ATM switch and al-Watani ATM switch was signed at the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) on 17 October in the presence of Hamood bin Sanjoor al-Zadjali, CBO Executive President.
Taiwan Sept bad check ratio 0.86% vs August 0.78%
TAIWAN - Taiwan's bad check ratio in terms of the number of checks issued rose to 0.86% in September from 0.78% in August, the island's central bank said Monday.
Bank of Japan - Annual Report 2001
ANNUAL REPORT - The Bank of Japan has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2001.
Speech by Otmar Issing of the ECB
SPEECH - Speech by Professor Otmar Issing, Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank at the German British Forum, London, 17 October.
Speech by Alfred Broaddus President Richmond Fed
SPEECH - Remarks by J. Alfred Broaddus, Jr., President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, at the Fall Business Forum Luncheon, Lenoir-Rhyne College Business Council, Hickory, NC, 16 October.
Speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan
SPEECH - Remarks by Chairman Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Board Chairman at the Institute for International Economics' Inauguration of the Peter G. Peterson Building, Washington, D.C., 24 October.
NIESR Quarterly Economic Review
RESEARCH - The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), based in the UK, has published its Quarterly Economic Review, October 2001.
Soros: Global economic report criticised at launch
REPORT - Billionaire investor George Soros Thursday launched the draft of a "Report on Globalization" that he offered as his blueprint for a fairer and more stable global financial system. He was given a rough ride by some big hitters in the world of…
Austrian central bank warns of forged euro notes
AUSTRIA - Wolfgang Duchatczek, a director of central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank (ONB), has warned Austrian consumers to be on the look-out for forged euro banknotes following the launch of the new European single currency on 1 January 2002.
NIESR report - UK to avoid slide into recession
UK - The UK will weather a sharp global slowdown and there is no reason to cut interest rates further, according to a leading think-tank.
Greenspan sets out defence of free markets
US - Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve chairman, speaking on Wednesday levelled one of his most aggressive defences yet of free markets, while warning that the prospect of additional terrorist acts threatened to reduce trade and its economic benefits.
UK economy defies world slowdown in Q3
UK - Britain's economy grew at a much faster rate than expected in the third quarter of 2001, defying the global slowdown that has been exacerbated by last month's attacks on the United States, data showed on Friday.
Swiss SNB sells 7.7 tons of gold in 10-day period
SWITZERLAND - The Swiss National Bank sold around 7.715 metric tons of surplus gold in its latest 10-day reporting period ended 19 October, central bank statistics showed Monday.
NBU's gold-currency reserves over US $3 billion
UKRAINE - As of 19 October the National Bank of Ukraine's gross gold-currency reserves had reached a record US$ 3.007 billion, having increased by US$ 1.379 billion since the beginning of the year.
Thai central bank set to streamline four units
THAILAND - The Bank of Thailand is restructuring its four organisational units: the financial institutions policy group, monetary policy group, fund operations (Financial Institutions Development Fund) and the office of the governor.
Fed's McTeer - Rate cuts not effective enough yet
US - Four percentage points worth of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve have so far not done enough to help the struggling U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert McTeer said Wednesday.