Eurozone
Draghi urges government action to spur recovery
President of the European Central Bank discusses internal and external eurozone competition and calls on countries to act during period of relative financial stability to advance economic reforms
Bank of Portugal studies synchronisation of macroeconomic fluctuations
Research paper expands on the assessment of synchronisation of macroeconomic fluctuations across countries and regions; past assessment has been crucial for the debate on economic integration
European Central Bank lends $712 billion to banks
ECB doles out €529.5 billion in low interest loans; analysts raise concerns about how effective the second round of the LTRO will be and the market reaction
Buba’s Weidmann defends German role in eurozone rescues
President of the Deutsche Bundesbank says criticising German authorities for their action, or lack of it, in helping struggling eurozone counterparts is “quite inappropriate”
Mixed market response as Greece deal is proposed
Regional stock indexes show different impact as eurozone agrees on more bail-out funds for Greece; price of gold edged higher as euro rose after news broke
RBA retains scope for monetary easing
Minutes of the latest Monetary Policy Board meeting at the Reserve Bank of Australia shows members believe inflation outlook provides scope for a further easing of policy if situation worsens
A new toolkit for eurozone survival
The eurozone’s short-term outlook depends on markets, voters, bureaucrats and politicians. Its longer term future requires radical change. Andrew Smithers considers the conditions that are needed for the eurozone to survive
Sepa end-date set in stone following final vote
European Parliament passes legislation imposing a February 1, 2014 deadline for migration to Single Euro Payments Area after regulation receives overwhelming support of MEPs in Brussels
RBA surprises markets with rate hold
Reserve Bank of Australia policy board leaves cash rate unchanged despite market expectation of 25-basis point cut in rates due to weak external outlook
SNB’s Jordan pledges to maintain Swiss franc’s currency floor
Swiss National Bank acting chairman, Thomas Jordan, preserves commitment of Sfr1.20 floor to euro; analysts expect the central bank to defend but not raise floor
'Little headway' made towards deepening integration in Europe, says Buba’s Dombret
Bundesbank executive board member Andreas Dombret says member states should lose fiscal policy sovereignty if they breach predefined deficit and debt limits under new fiscal compact
FSB regional group discusses policy responses to eurozone crisis
Commonwealth of Independent States hold first regional FSB consultative group meeting; members including Russia and Ukraine discuss possible policy actions to counter eurozone crisis
Central bankers gather in Davos for World Economic Forum
Central banking is a hot topic at this year's World Economic Forum; attendees of the event discuss issues in Russia, Poland, China and more
Thailand blames floods and ‘likely’ eurozone recession for rate cut
Bank of Thailand drops benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3%; says recession now "likely" in the eurozone
IMF fears eurozone crisis will stall global recovery
World Economic Outlook slashes growth projections for 2012 as downside risks to eurozone economy intensify; IMF warns spill-over effects could slow economic activity globally
RBI’s Subbarao says eurozone situation better than expected
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India says Indian corporates report better conditions in Europe than feared; central bank lowers cash reserve ratio for banks to ease liquidity situation
Belgium’s Coene believes in commitment of eurozone countries
Governor of National Bank of Belgium says even if Greece were to leave single currency, other member states would draw together to "protect the system"
ECB says financial stability in Europe faced ‘strong headwinds’ in 2011
European Central Bank releases Financial Stability Report; says weakening macroeconomic growth prospects and “unprecedented” loss of confidence to blame for rise of key risks in the region
Australia ‘well placed’ to deal with global downturn; RBA’s Battellino
Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor Ric Battellino says Australia is in a strong position to cope with ongoing global financial turbulence
Eurozone crisis catches up with Estonia
Bank of Estonia becomes latest central bank to cut growth expectations; says eurozone crisis could cause a recession in the country
BIS stresses central banks' role in combating global liquidity problems
Bank for International Settlements releases quarterly review; says central banks have the power to limit liquidity crises; study finds QE may not be as effective as was hoped
Euro project failed to deliver on convergence promise
Uneven and diverging competitiveness lies at the core of the euro crisis, says Costas Lapavitsas, professor in economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London
NALM Africa 2011: African central banks rethink reserves allocations
The drop-off in US Treasury yields and concern about a eurozone sovereign collapse has prompted a number of African central banks to review their reserves allocations
Sarb’s Marcus laments ‘new phase’ in eurozone crisis
Latest South African Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Review shows rising inflation and hesitant domestic economic recovery; governor Gill Marcus shares concerns as eurozone crisis rumbles on