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A decision by European central banks to support the region's financial system helped calm Asian markets, setting off a rally across the region in Friday trading....

A top board member of the European Central Bank unexpectedly resigned on Friday in what analysts saw as further evidence of the deep divisions over how to resolve Europe’s growing debt crisis. The move immediately rattled European markets and the euro, which slipped to a six-month low against the dollar. The European Stoxx and German DAX indexes tumbled 3.5 percent.

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday the central bank has done all it can to get the U.S. economy back on track. Now it's time to simply wait for it to heal.

The Federal Reserve Board has promised to keep interest rates at zero until 2013-- an admission that the economy is not expected to rebound for two years-- until the next President is in the White House. This policy step indicates the Fed does not believe the economy will recover either this year or next year. Never before has the central bank made such a policy declaration for as long a period as two years.

South Korea's move to buy gold for the first time in 13 years is the latest in a growing trend of central banks diversifying their reserves and reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke renewed his promise on Thursday that the central bank could put more monetary stimulus into play if the economic recovery stumbles.

The Afghan government Tuesday lashed out at its former central bank president, who fled to Virginia and announced there Monday that he had resigned in fear for his life. Officials here blamed him for involvement in a major bank scandal and said he had no reason to fear anything but the law.

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde appeared poised to become the head of the International Monetary Fund this week despite a strong challenge to Europe's traditional hold on the job.

European Central Bank Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny does not expect the U.S. economy to enter a double-dip recession and is more concerned about fast-growing developing markets, he told a newspaper.

The European Central Bank said on Thursday it opposed forcing private creditors to take part in debt relief for Greece, pushing back against Germany, which has demanded a bond swap to lengthen Greek debt maturities.