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Trump after his special address.

Trash talk, a walkout and a disinvitation: The drama behind the scenes at Davos

US President Donald Trump set a trash-talking tone with his rambling address at the World Economic Forum, but he wasn’t the only American ruffling feathers in Switzerland.

  • Paul Dyer, Zoe Schneeweiss and Eliyahu Kamisher

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Richard Nixon pressured his Federal Reserve chair to cut interest rates. It led to a recession and high inflation.

‘A moment of sheer nihilism’: Trump is running into a problem many political populists face

The legal battle launched by the US president against the head of America’s central bank threatens a repeat of the darkest days of Richard Nixon.

  • Shane Wright
RBA governor Michele Bullock has signalled her support for Fed chair Jerome Powell

Bullock joins top central bankers in expressing ‘full solidarity’ with Powell in clash with Trump

The US president has dramatically escalated his confrontation with the Federal Reserve with the Justice Department threatening criminal charges.

  • David McHugh
RBA governor Michele Bullock, Fed chairman Jerome Powell and European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde.

What burritos in California can teach us about Australia’s fight against inflation

Inflation pressures are roaring back. Every central bank is now worrying about the threat it poses, and these real-world examples of price pressures show why.

  • Shane Wright
Christine Lagarde

Last mile in the fight against inflation could be a painful slog

Central banks made it clear at a forum in Portugal this week that they are prepared to raise interest rates again, and keep them there as long for as it takes.

  • Stephen Bartholomeusz
People walk past the Reserve Bank of Australia in Martin Place, Sydney.

For central banks like the RBA, ‘pause’ has become a dirty word

Weren’t we supposed to wait to allow interest rate increases to flow through to the behaviour of companies and consumers?

  • Daniel Moss
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Beijing is offering the yuan as a global trading currency to the US dollar.

China’s push to challenge the US dollar gathers steam

The centrality of the dollar meant that to trade, governments had to meet international standards. Now that is being put under threat.

  • Eryk Bagshaw
Reserve Banks misjudged the impact of the pandemic on the world’s supply chains.

Central bankers face stiff new challenges in fragmenting and fractious world

Central banks were challenged and have been found wanting by the events of the past three years.

  • Stephen Bartholomeusz
ECB chief Christine Lagarde

The end of negative interest rates will not save Europe

Europe’s central bank has announced a hefty rate rise but it may have waited too long as it faces a financial catastrophe.

  • Simon Foy
Fed chair Jerome Powell as he explained his central bank’s massive rate hike on Wednesday.

World’s central banks got it wrong, and economies pay the price

Even after central banks recognised they got their inflation calls wrong last year, they’ve continued to flub their policy guidance, roiling markets and threatening greater damage to their credibility.

  • Enda Curran