Reuters - Top central bankers present and past on Wednesday joined forces against a plan to strip the Fed of its oversight of smaller banks, saying the knowledge it gains from that role is vital to monetary policy.

AFP - The United States Wednesday welcomed a decision by Paris Club creditors to cancel Afghanistan's debt owed to members as "a crucial step" toward economic sustainability.

Reuters - U.S. producer prices in February posted their biggest fall in seven months as energy costs tumbled, validating the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates very low on evidence of tame inflation.

AFP - Amid deep election-year worries about high unemployment, the US Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to send President Barack Obama a 17.6-billion-dollar package aimed at creating jobs.

AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday urged Congress not to scale back the Fed's regulatory authority over banks. He said the Fed needs the information it gleans from its bank oversight to set interest rates and gauge the health of the banking system.

AFP - Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke called for his central bank to keep broad regulatory powers Wednesday, amid a fierce debate about how to police Wall Street.