Inflation
EU's Barroso notes concern over euro's strength
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, has acknowledged that the euro is now worryingly strong.
Money growth data helps predict inflation
Money growth statistics can be used to more accurately forecast inflation in the euro area, a new International Monetary Fund paper finds.
Ex-governor knocks RBA as rates hit 12-year high
Bernie Fraser, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, has spoken out against the decision to raise rates to a fresh 12-year high.
Canada chops half a point off rates
The Bank of Canada has cut rates by 50 basis points to 3.5% amid fears of a more severe slowdown in the US.
Strauss-Kahn complains of "overly powerful" ECB
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has said that the lack of a political counterweight for the European Central Bank (ECB) has made the institution too powerful.
Bernanke spooks markets with bank failure warning
The dollar hit a record low against the euro after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that small banks could fail in the coming months.
Czech deputy counters interference claims
Miroslav Singer, a vice-governor at the Czech National Bank (CNB), has rebuffed claims that the Vaclav Klaus, the country's president, is compromising the institution's independence.
EU building and consumer sectors most sensitive
The eurozone's construction and consumer sectors are typically the most sensitive to shocks in GDP and inflation variables, states a new European Central Bank paper.
Fed exacerbating stagflation risk: Meltzer
The Federal Reserve's current policies mark a return to the dark days of the 1970s and carry the same threats, says Allan Meltzer, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
Policy shifts improved inflation outlook
The decline in the level, persistence and volatility of inflation across industrialised countries since the mid-1980s is due in part to improvements in monetary policy, finds a Bank of England working paper.
Bernanke changes tack, cautions on inflation
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has said that the inflation picture in the US has worsened since the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) last met.
Markets underestimate ECB's inflation fears
Bets on interest rate decisions fail to take into account the seriousness of the inflation situation in the eurozone, said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank who also sits on the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council.
Poland raises rates to 5.5% in surprise move
The National Bank of Poland has voted to raise rates unexpectedly by a quarter point.
Further Fed cuts likely on Kohn comments
Donald Kohn, the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, has hinted that more rate cuts are needed in order to insure against an economic calamity.
Controlling inflation stabilises growth
Monetary policy's dual objectives - stabilising inflation and stabilising economic activity - complement rather than contradict one another, said Frederic Mishkin, a governor of the Federal Reserve.
BoE's Lomax notes dramatic shift in outlook
The persisting financial turmoil and the build up in global inflationary pressures have led to a dramatic change in the outlook for 2008 and beyond, Rachel Lomax, a deputy governor at the Bank of England, said.
Turkey reveals rationale for latest cut
The Central Bank of Turkey lowered rates for the sixth straight month in February because monetary policy still supported disinflation, the minutes of the meeting show.
Prices force China to stick with policy stance
A top Chinese central banker confirmed that the People's Bank's monetary policy stance will remain tight after inflation hit a fresh 11-year high.
Fed's Fisher warns on inflation expectations
Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve, has said that the Fed must be careful to avoid "stirring the embers of inflation".
Zimbabwe officially enters hyperinflation
The latest inflation numbers in Zimbabwe confirm that the country has entered into hyperinflation.
Turkish governor defends policy framework
Turkey's central bank should keep its policy framework although inflation targets have been missed two years in a row, said Durmus Yilmaz, the governor.
Mixed results for inflation targeting
A study by the Bank of Canada finds that the ability of inflation-targeting central banks to hit their targets varies considerably. The study, published in the Bank of Canada's Winter Review, looked at 21 countries over the period 1990 to 2007.
Australia considered bigger rise
Minutes from the February board meeting of the Reserve Bank of Australia show that the central bank considered raising its cash target by a bigger margin than the quarter percentage point rise announced on 5 February.
China's inflation rises steeply
China's inflation rose at the quickest rate for over 11 years after the worst blizzard in half a century disrupted the country's food supplies, paralysing transport and destroying crops.