BASEL (Switzerland) - THE global economy is stabilising and the outlook is better than previously expected, leading central bankers said after a meeting on Monday.

'It's already known a number of projections have been slightly revised up, confirming that we probably are ... out of the period of freefall which had marked the last quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year,' said Jean-Claude Trichet, speaking on behalf of the Group of 10 top central bankers.

LONDON - GOLD held broadly steady on Monday just shy of US$995 (S$1,424) per ounce, consolidating stellar gains last week that took it tantalisingly close to the $1,000 psychological level, with buyers encouraged by dollar weakness.

Investment in palladium continued to jump - sending prices close to highs for the year - with fund holdings swelling on expectations for depressed auto demand to pick up.

LONDON - WOMEN at some of Britain's top banks and finance companies take home bonuses five times smaller than their male colleagues, according to a government-commissioned study released Monday.

The average annual bonus for women was nearly 2,900 pounds (S$6,875) compared to about 14,500 pounds for men, the report carried out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said.