Euro
Estonia nabs firms over euro leak
Bank of Estonia fines two companies for mishandling euro coins ahead of the currency’s launch in 2011; strong link to coin sale in neighbouring Latvia
Russia advances Canadian dollar position
Bank of Russia will increase holdings of Canadian dollar denominated assets to diversify foreign exchange reserves
The euro funding gap and its consequences
The crisis has highlighted that the euro is far from a true reserve currency. That has worrying implications, argue Annina Kaltenbrunner, Duncan Lindo, Juan Pablo Painceira and Alexis Stenfors
Hungary voices concerns over banking climate
National Bank of Hungary warns new government tax and appreciation of the Swiss franc will severely impair bank lending and its contribution to economic growth
SNB records $8.7 billion loss on Swiss franc gains
Swiss National Bank reports loss of Sfr8.46 billion for first three quarters of the year after Swiss franc appreciated against major currencies
Palestine launches new RTGS system
Palestine Monetary Authority Real-Time Gross Settlement system allows for developments in online and mobile banking
Strong dollar sees RBA book record A$3.8 billion hit
Reserve Bank of Australia reports biggest ever loss of A$3.8 billion as foreign exchange reserves slide on domestic currency strength
Hungary sets four hour limit for retail payments
National Bank of Hungary issues decree requiring banks to settle electronic payments within four hours; move may cost banks up to $40m, admits deputy
Czech National Bank withdraws smallest banknote
Czech National Bank says Kc50 note will be replaced with coin in April; cites cost of replacing notes and change in value
BIS on renminbi management
Bank for International Settlements research results consistent with the renminbi having been managed in 2006-08 against a basket of currencies
Trichet lauds Estonia’s positive response to crisis
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet says Estonia’s quick reaction to financial crisis paved Tallinn’s road to euro adoption
EU bailout vehicle nets top credit rating
European Financial Stability Facility secures triple A rating
FX market going global: BIS
Bank for International Settlements’ triennial survey of foreign exchange markets shows decline in prevalence of local transactions, dollar and sterling
SNB posts smaller-than-forecast loss
Swiss National Bank’s first half loss $949m smaller than expected as gold and UBS bailout vehicle put in strong performances; reverses end-2009 purchase of UBS shares to guard against loss
Swiss National Bank set to post half-year loss of $3.8 billion
SNB forecasts exchange-rate losses of more than Sfr14 billion on the back of the euro’s decline; gold gains and FX positions pare losses
Euro counterfeits fall by 13%
ECB statistics show 387,000 forged euro banknotes recovered in first half of 2010; €50 note overtakes €20 as most popular bill to fake
Irish central bank sees profits more than double
Central Bank of Ireland 2009 Annual Report shows profits rose past the $1 billion mark last year
Estonia gets final nod to join euro
Europe's finance ministers fix conversion rate at 15.6466; preparations begin for January 2011 changeover
National Bank of Austria - Annual Report (2009)
National Bank of Austria’s 2009 Annual Report shows massive gains in reserves due to rise in gold prices
National Bank of Slovakia – Annual Report (2009)
Slovakian central bank’s annual report details benefits of entering currency union and documents smooth transition into new monetary policy and payments systems
Russian FX regime change ties rates closer to Europe: Bank of Finland
Bank of Finland study shows Russian interest rates moved more in line with Europe than the United States, following overhaul of exchange rate basket
‘Moment of truth’ for the euro, says former BoE deputy governor
John Gieve says eurozone countries are showing the political will to ensure the currency block stays intact and expresses his support for the UK's new 'twin peaks' regulatory framework
CentralBanking.com panel: ECB’s response to Greek crisis too slow
Mike Williams, Paul Mortimer-Lee, and Phil Davis say the ECB should have moved more swiftly to tackle the fiscal problems in Greece
Shilling weakened after Kenya bought euros, say analysts
Analysts link recent weakness in Kenya’s shilling to euro purchases by the central bank