U.S. crude futures fell more than 2 percent Thursday as a stronger dollar weighed and weaker equities raised concern about the economy and a potential rebound in energy demand.

Taiwan's central bank said there is still about T$350 billion ($11 billion) worth of foreign
funds, or speculative "hot money", in Taiwan, even after some outflows, as the authority tries to curb forex speculation.

The dollar and yen rose Thursday as a pullback in risk appetite amid declines in equity and commodity markets revived safe-haven demand for the U.S. and Japanese currencies.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee was split three ways in November, with seven members backing the 25 billion pound boost to the economy, one wanting more and another calling for no increase at all.

Indonesia's central bank on Wednesday played down the immediate threat of curbs on foreign ownership of short-term debt after its earlier mention of controls hit the rupiah currency.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as a drop in U.S. oil and fuel inventories outweighed wider economic concerns.

The dollar fell against most major currencies Wednesday as dealers took profits on the currency's biggest rise in three weeks, with fresh data doing little to alter the view that U.S. interest rates will remain at record lows well into 2010.

The Federal Reserve may rely principally on a largely untested monetary policy tool when the time comes to raise borrowing costs.

Oil prices rose Tuesday as demand for oil products supported crude, outweighing pressure from a stronger dollar.

The dollar rebounded Tuesday from a 15-month low after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's rare comments on the currency spurred traders to trim long-term bets against the greenback.

"I haven't been this bearish in a year," the well-known analyst told CNBC in a live interview. "I look at the board and every single stock is up.  But there is no fundamental rooting as to why."

While not being comfortable with the current gold trade, Dennis Gartman told CNBC that the price of the precious metal will "continue to go up until it stops."

Governments and companies will soon find themselves battling over the small supply of private savings available, paving the way for another recession, Ron Napier, head of Napier Investment Advisors, told CNBC Monday.

Central banks will be net buyers of gold this year as they diversify away from the U.S. dollar, marking a reversal of a decades-old trend, global commodities investment fund BlackRock said on Monday in comments that helped drive bullion to fresh record highs.

Significant weaknesses still have to work their way through the US economy, coupled with a rising level of debt, Kansas City Fed President Thomas Hoenig said Monday.