ITALY - Italy's gaffe-prone former premier Silvio Berlusconi has stoked controversy by praising Benito Mussolini on Holocaust Memorial Day - despite Il Duce's anti-Jewish laws. Mussolini had been wrong to pass anti-Jewish laws but had otherwise been a good leader, said Mr Berlusconi. He was speaking at a Milan ceremony commemorating victims of the Nazi Holocaust. He has not ruled out another stint as PM if his party wins polls next month.
USA - Early in the 4th century, Emperor Diocletian issued an infamous decree to control spiralling wages and prices in the rapidly deteriorating Roman Empire. As part of his edict, Diocletian commanded that any merchant or customer caught violating the new price structures would be put to death. This is an important lesson from history, and a trend that has been repeated numerous times.
SWITZERLAND - Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein has suggested the worst of the financial crisis is over in an interview with the BBC in Davos. "I think the moment of crisis is over," he said, speaking to BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders. "The worst worrisome problems that everyone talked about last year seem to be off the table." He said deleveraging was continuing, companies were beginning to make money again, and the housing situation in the US and elsewhere was improving. Goldman Sachs this month announced net profits of $7.5 billion (£4.8 billion) for 2012, results that analysts said showed that the bank was back on track following the financial crisis.
SWITZERLAND - Analysis by Jorn Madslien, BBC News, Davos: “The calm mood in sunny Davos is open to interpretation. It might be tempting to see it as a reflection of hope that the global economy is back on track and picking up pace. But equally, it could be taken as a sign of exhaustion, bringing pause to an economic crisis that has been long and tiring. Nobody here expects a sharp and sudden recovery, especially not in the US or the eurozone. But these days, politicians and business leaders seem happy as long as they are not in the eye of a storm”.
SWITZERLAND - The incoming governor of the Bank of England has said the next two years will be "decisive" for bank reform. Mark Carney, current governor of the Bank of Canada, said "shadow banking" and the issue of "too big to fail" would be tackled.
USA - US Federal Reserve is reporting a major deposit withdrawal from the nation’s bank accounts. The financial system hasn’t seen such a massive fund outflow since 9/11 attacks. The first week of January 2013 has seen $114 billion withdrawn from 25 of the US’ biggest banks, pushing deposits down to $5.37 trillion, according to the US Fed. Financial analysts suggest it could be down to the Transaction Account Guarantee insurance program coming to an end on December 31 last year and clients moving their money that is no longer insured by the government.
SWITZERLAND - International bankers and finance ministers warned on Saturday that Europe's crisis was not over even though the euro currency is now stabilized, it will take years to overcome economic malaise and mass unemployment in Europe.
SWITZERLAND - The world still does not fully understand how financial markets work, according to investor George Soros. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Soros, who made his billions betting on the markets, said the established theory had "collapsed".
USA - A massive anti-abortion march hit Washington DC, on Friday as tens of thousands opposed to the right to choose descended on the National Mall to protest Roe vs Wade, the landmark 1971 decision that legalized the termination of pregnancies. Participants in the annual March for Life walked to the steps of the US Supreme Court carrying signs reading “Defend Life,” “I regret My Abortion,” “1973-2013 Forty Years of Legal Fetal Homicide,” and many others. The event comes on the 40th anniversary of Roe vs Wade, the US Supreme Court decision that made it a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy under some circumstances.
GERMANY - Cameron's speech on London's future role in the European Union on Wednesday was criticized by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle as an attempt to pick and choose the things Britain wants from the EU. "Cherry picking is not an option," he told reporters.
VATICAN - The Pope closed off the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by marking the Feast day of the conversion of St Paul at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, joined by delegates from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Anglican Church. The Pope said spiritual ecumenism is not enough, and that nods to conversion are needed to help heal wounds from the past. He highlighted the importance of working together to bring back spirituality to modern society. The leaders of several ecumenical initiatives also took part during the prayer vigil.
USA - Three Colorado bishops said on Thursday they will review a Catholic Church hospital's defense of a lawsuit that argues fetuses do not have legal status - apparently contradicting the Church's teaching on life issues.
USA - A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that President Barack Obama violated the US Constitution when he used recess appointments to fill a labor board, in a sweeping decision that could limit presidential power to push through federal nominees.
MIDDLE EAST - Egypt’s newly elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was caught on tape about three years ago urging his followers to “nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred” for Jews and Zionists. Not long after, the then-leader of the Muslim Brotherhood described Zionists as “bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians,” “warmongers,” and “descendants of apes and pigs.”
USA - Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he views the administration’s efforts to reduce firearms violence as gun safety – not gun control. The vice president fielded questions online in a Google+ Hangout, saying the proposals that he and President Barack Obama have laid out won’t end gun crime, but they still could make a difference. While he defended the proposed ban, Mr Biden, who emphasized that he’s a gun owner and a supporter of the Second Amendment, said he is more focused on limiting the capacity of magazines. “There is no sporting need that I’m aware of for a magazine that holds 50 rounds,” he said.