Politics

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 13:55 UTC

  Fed leaves rates unchanged but will begin to wind down liquidity programs

  

  The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that the U.S. economic activity has continued to “strengthen” and decided to keep a key interest rate unchanged at a record low of between zero to 0.25% to prop up the economy. However there was a dissenting vote.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 13:43 UTC

  Soros backs Obama’s proposals to limit size of banks

  

  Legendary investor George Soros has called for a radical break-up of banks that are “too big to fail”. He also backed US President Barack Obama's proposed reforms to limit the size of banks at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 13:41 UTC

  Sarkozy raps bankers and calls for a fundamental rethink of capitalism

  

  French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a fundamental rethink of capitalism in the aftermath of the financial crisis. “We need deep profound change,” he said in his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 06:30 UTC

  Chile completes modernization of air power with 44 F16s

  

  Chilean Defence minister Francisco Vidal and Air Force Commander General Ricardo Ortega announced this week that Chile had completed the renovation of its air power with the purchase of 18 F-16s from Holland, 12 Brazilian Super Tucano for training purposes, three KC 135 transport aircrafts and 12 Bell 412 helicopters.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 05:59 UTC

  Lula da Silva thinking of a banker for the October presidential ticket

  

  Brazilian president Lula da Silva is considering supporting a renowned banker such as Central Bank governor Henrique Meirelles, to complete his Workers Party ticket for next October’s presidential election which is expected to be headed by cabinet chief Dilma Rousseff, according to press reports in Sal Paulo.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 05:41 UTC

  “Super Charlie”, 7 year-old from London collects £ 200.000 for Haiti

  

  Seven-year-old Charlie Simpson, from west London, met on Wednesday British Prime Minister's wife at 10 Downing Street after raising more than £200,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti.

• Thursday, January 28th 2010 - 05:33 UTC

  Brazil signs agreement to purchase 10 billion USD in IMF notes

  

  The Brazilian government and the International Monetary Fund signed a technical agreement under which Brazil will buy up to 10 billion USD in IMF notes over the next two years.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 15:16 UTC

  Redrado conditions participation before congressional advisory committee

  

  The ousted head of the Central Bank Martín Redrado demanded Tuesday Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner revoke the DNU emergency decree which she had issued in order to dismiss him from his post as the Central Bank governor.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 15:10 UTC

  Another top official from the Chavez administration resigns

  

  Venezuela’s Central Bank Chairman, Eugenio Vasquez Orellana, resigned Tuesday citing health problems, but the real motive seems to have been differences with some cabinet ministers from the government of Hugo Chavez.

• Wednesday, January 27th 2010 - 15:06 UTC

  Venezuelan students protest against Chavez media: two dead

  

  College students opposed to Venezuela’s populist government protested on Tuesday outside the headquarters of state-run VTV television against the network’s “violent discourse.”