The dollar fell on Monday after a G20 meeting and U.S. unemployment data did little to alter the view that U.S. rates would stay low for a while, supporting shares and the Australian and New Zealand dollars. The Australian dollar advanced back toward its high for the year, helped by a pick-up in Australian housing finance, while the New Zealand dollar rose after dairy giant Fonterra lifted its forecast payout to farmers.

The International Monetary Fund said its executive board endorsed the sale of 403 tons of gold, worth an estimated 13 billion dollars, to boost its lending capacity to poor countries. The IMF said in a statement the sales would be “in a volume strictly limited to 403.3 metric tons, with these sales to be conducted under modalities that safeguard against disruption of the gold market.”

Democrats in the U.S. Congress have reached a deal to boost support to the International Monetary Fund, lawmakers’ aides said on Tuesday, a victory for President Barack Obama who pledged to help the lender assist countries in the global economic crisis. The war funding measure will provide a $100 billion credit line to the IMF, increase the U.S. member contribution to the IMF by $8 billion and authorize the United States to back the IMF’s plan to sell 400 tons (12.97 million ounces) of gold, said the aides, who declined further identification.