Interest rates
Indonesia holds rates
Bank Indonesia's rate-setting board voted on Wednesday to leave rates at 8% in an attempt to bring inflation within the 4-6% range set for 2008.
Australia raises rates to fresh high
The Reserve Bank of Australia's rate-setting board voted to raise rates 25 basis points to 7%, their highest level in over 11 years.
Loan approvals down, conditions tighten: Fed poll
Borrowers in the US face rising costs and tougher conditions for loans, a survey published by the Federal Reserve on Monday shows.
Romania raises rates by 100 basis points
The National Bank of Romania surprised markets on Monday by raising its benchmark rate a full percentage point to 9%.
Skrzypek plans may damage credibility: Polish MPC
The National Bank of Poland's rate-setting council has said that organisational changes proposed by Slawomir Skrzypek, the president of the central bank, should be dropped while doubts remain over their legality.
Russia raises rates, ups reserve ratio
The Central Bank of Russia has hiked rates and its reserve ratio requirements in a bid to curb inflation.
Joint rate moves have little benefit
The gains from monetary policy coordination in the United States and the eurozone are small, research published by the European Central Bank finds.
South Africa holds rates
The South African Reserve Bank's rate-setting board voted on Thursday to hold rates at 11%.
Pakistan rates up by half a point
The State Bank of Pakistan's rate-setting board has raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 10.5%.
Poland raises rates to 5.25%
The National Bank of Poland's rate-setting monetary policy council opted to hike its benchmark reference rate by 25 basis points on Thursday.
Bank of England's King to get second term
Mervyn King has been granted a further five-year term as the governor of the Bank of England.
SARB may hold rates
Recent power shortages may lead to a rethink on rate rises in South Africa.
Markets expect half-point cut from Fed
The majority of analysts expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates by a further half-a-percentage point on Wednesday.
Malaysia keeps rates at 3.5%
Bank Negara Malaysia's rate-setting monetary policy committee voted to hold its benchmark overnight policy rate at 3.5% on Monday in spite of concern over inflation.
More banking competition produces mixed results
A u-shaped relationship exists between competition and the risk of bank failure, research published by the Centre for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR) finds.
UK rates "restrictive", says dovish Blanchflower
David Blanchflower, the only member of the Bank of England's nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) to back a rate cut earlier this month, has said monetary easing is vital to avoid a recession.
Israel holds rates at 4.25%
The Bank of Israel's rate-setting board voted on Monday to keep rates at 4.25%, despite concern over rising inflation.
Japan cut unlikely after Fukui comments
A slowdown in Japanese growth will not lead to a rate cut, Toshihiko Fukui, the governor of the Bank of Japan indicated on Friday.
Japan's hawk turns dove after building slump
Atsushi Mizuno, the only member of the Bank of Japan to consistently back a rate hike during the second half of last year, changed tack in December due to the poor performance of the construction sector, minutes from the monetary policy meeting reveal.
ECB sticks to inflation line amid OECD cut calls
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, and fellow members of the rate-setting governing council have defended the central bank's decision to fight inflation, in spite of increasingly vociferous calls for them to cut rates.
New Zealand holds rates at 8.25%
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's rate-setting board voted on Thursday to keep the benchmark official cash rate at 8.25% in spite of high inflation.
Czech deputy Niedermayer says economy set to slow
The pace of economic expansion in the Czech Republic will decline in 2008, Ludek Niedermayer, a deputy governor at the Czech National Bank, warned on Wednesday.
Brazil rates remain at 11.25%
The Central Bank of Brazil's rate-setting board on Wednesday voted unanimously to keep the benchmark Selic rate at 11.25%.
European and US markets fall despite Fed cut
Stocks listed on European and US bourses continued to slide on Wednesday, following the Federal Reserve's emergency 75 basis point cut on Tuesday.