Economics
Fed seeks to reassure over housing slowdown
Overall rises in disposable income should offset a possible increase in the saving rate due to a softening housing market, Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, said in a letter to a congresswoman released on Wednesday 30 August.
Indian rates may not rise-former governor
India's central bank may hold back on further interest rate hikes this year, according to a former Reserve Bank of India governor, Bimal Jalan.
Riksbank conference on central bank governance
Sweden's central bank is hosting an international research conference on governance in central banks.
IMF boost for developing countries
China, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico seem set to win increases in their IMF quotas at the expense of some European countries.
Nigeria plans an oil investment fund
The Central Bank of Nigeria said it is working on a national investment fund that will manage a proportion of its external reserves.
Bernanke's opening speech at Jackson Hole
A speech by Ben Bernanke notes that, as in the past, the social and political opposition to openness can be strong.
Stanley Fischer on the new economic powers
The governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer, discusses the political and economic implications of the rise of Asian economies.
Reserve Bank of India's annual report
The Indian central bank released its annual report for 2005-2006 on 30 August 2006.
Italian banks' merger breakthrough
Two of Italy's biggest banks are to merge to form Europe's 10th largest bank with a market value of €55bn ($80bn).
Jackson Hole attendees stick to the script
Central bankers and academics at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole conference in the United States discussed the impacts of globalisation at length, but gave away little on immediate policy directions.
Trinidad and Tobago governor's inflation speech
Rocketing food prices are to blame for the rising inflation according to Ewart Williams, governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.
Japan's inflation lower than expected
Japanese core CPI for July showed a smaller than expected rise in inflation of 0.2% year on year.
Macfarlane says world can cope with oil shocks
The world economy is surprisingly good at absorbing price pressures from rising oil prices, said Ian Macfarlane, the outgoing governor of Australia's central bank.
The euro as an invoice currency
A new ECB working paper investigates the determinants of currency invoicing in international trade.
Chilean cb's study of sovereign debt in Americas
This paper contains the first comprehensive database on sovereign debt systematically compiled to ensure comparability for all countries in the Americas, the authors claim.
Botswana's productivity "embarrassingly low"
Research at the Bank of Botswana, suggests the country's competitiveness and productivity is "embarrassingly low", said the governor, Linah Mohohlo.
Remittances on the rise in the Philippines
Money sent home by Filipinos working abroad rose 18% to $1.1bn in June compared to the same month last year.
Chicago Fed on home ownership
The Chicago Fed has published and article explaining recent high levels of residential investment and rates of home ownership.
Stagflation in Iraq - central bank
Iraq's central bank sounded a warning as inflation and unemployment hit high levels.
How Australia hedges
This paper from Australia's central bank examines foreign exchange hedging behaviour in the country since it adopted a floating exchange rate regime.
Transparency in bond markets
This technical paper's conclusions suggest caution is needed in creating an extremely homogeneous and transparent trading environment for sovereign bonds.
Lebanese governor speaks out on economic threats
The governor of Lebanon's central bank, Raid Salameh, has spoken about the strains on the country's economic recovery.
Norway's investments struck by rising krone
Norges Bank today published its second quarter results for its investment management division, showing negative returns in both equity and fixed income markets.
Zimbabwe's Gono no hero for removing zeroes
Protests and arrests accompanied the final day of Zimbabwe's currency exchange.