building as to who will take over as president of the european ntrabank after jean-claude tree shea -- trichet steps down later this year. azel -- axel weber has long been considered the front runner, but he says he is not available and is considering moving to deutsche bank. berlin's annual fresh produce expo is under way. it comes at an interesting time politically, with good security a major pic eptnd tunisia. both countries have representatives at the international trade show. both are still going through rough times. that has been affecting exports, despite the high demand for exotic fruit in germany. >> produce wholesalers throughout north africa are doing a booming business, with most of their wares exported to europe, where demand continues to climb. tunisian fruits and vegetables are sought after in france, italy, and germany. continuing unrest is beginning to affect the private sector. it is a growing concern. >> the dockworkers are demanding higher pay. most work on a day-by-day basis, but want to see immediate improvement in long-term contracts. >> in some north african cities such

the fact that he had the strength to reach out and go back on 20 years of being a rogue state and a trichet state and a state that trained -- a terrorist state and a state that trained the i.r.a. and the german terrorist groups and so on, was a radical change in -- to suggest strength, i think, and not weakness. i think among the people who are currently ruling in the middle east, there's a reason that qaddafi's been there for 40 years. and not that he's a buffoon or a fool or weak. >> dr. barber, thank you very much indeed. dr. benjamin barber on the line from new york. ze nefment a -- zena ben-ali is said to be in a grave condition in hospital after forced out of office. he slipped into a coma two days ago. he and his family fled as soon as the popular uprise being ended his 23-year grip on power. in egypt, the authorities have raested the interior minister, habib al-adla on corruption charges who has been blamed for police vie lenls during the unrest that forced the departure of the president hosni mubarak. pro-democracy activists will be back upon the streets of cairo on friday. they wi

. >> trichet commissioner murphy: thank you -- commissioner murphy: thank you, sir. >> i like to move to approve the notice put together by the and that is before us regarding address changes. i think we have discussed this a lot. i think the way that we have the procedure and the new rules and the new notification will make sure that tenants are advised within the time limit so that they can properly deal with these issues instead of missing their opportunity. i think it is a really good solution to the problem that we have been made aware of, and i like to move to forward it. >> second. >> we have a motion and a second. all those in favor? those opposed? and there is that one correction that needs to be made. item seven, discussion and possible action regarding a new administrative bulletin, guidelines for the structural review of continuous tied down systems used to resist overturning of white frame would shear walls. >> i have some concern about the language. i do not know if you would like me to go over that here or wait until the end of the meeting. >> we need to discuss it i th

heavy flooding and rains the country's president has declared a state of emergency and allocated trichet million dollars for. the charter no other people are being detained for across the country after gathering the so-called jasmine rallies and demonstrations were organized online forums and a calling for more accountable government. peaceful action and encouraged people to . tend to pass by the rallies inspired by uprisings in the middle east to be vastly outnumbered by security forces. for the soul from the earthquake in new zealand has reached one hundred forty seven with more than two hundred people still missing residents across the country are honoring the dead woman services rescuers in christchurch are working to clear wreckage from the city as officials warn that many buildings may have to be demolished if it was new zealand deadliest natural disaster in eighteen years and is likely to become its worst ever well they say teamwork is the linchpin of success in the russian public seems to agree on this having chosen not one but three mascots for sochi is twenty fourteen winter ol

as to who will take over as president of the european central bank after jean-claude tree shea -- trichet steps down later this year. azel -- axel weber has long been considered the front runner, but he says he is not available and is considering moving to deutsche bank. berlin's annual fresh produce expo is under way. it comes at an interesting time politically, with good security a major topic in egypt and tunisia. both countries have representatives at the international trade show. both are still going through rough times. that has been affecting exports, despite the high demand for exotic fruit in germany. >> produce wholesalers throughout north africa are doing a booming business, with most of their wares exported to europe, where demand continues to climb. tunisian fruits and vegetables are sought after in france, italy, and germany. continuing unrest is beginning to affect the private sector. it is a growing concern. >> the dockworkers are demanding higher pay. most work on a day-by-day basis, but want to see immediate improvement in long-term contracts. >> in some north african ci

. >> you are asking a theoretical question which i think jean-claude trichet could answer. i have understood with politicians, sometimes in this world of communication have much more power to her statements then it is always needed and it can be very constructive. it? that obviously -- speak it is a philosophical question. >> not at all, but i would say we have made a decision very clearly that we are moving on a path which is, i guess there will be -- this is a decision made in the european union, a lengthening of the debt we have today imf and the european union there've been discussions about the terms of the loan also. these are in the pipeline. all will be positive, and at the same time, i would say that we have to see you have mentioned the growth scenario in the european union, which is on the one hand a new confidence by the markets towards our country but it also is i would say using a number of methods, the eurobond. this is something that generally people have approved of as methods of investing in projects and particularly into a greener europe which i think is

price pressures remain contained despite rising energy commodities cost per president jean-claude trichet repeated the very close monitoring of inflation as warranted. i am particular grateful that chairman bernanke agreed to be our first luncheon serious guest of my term. please give a warm national press club welcome to chairman ben bernanke. [applause] >> thank you. thanks, and good afternoon. >> i am pleased to be here and to have a conversation with journalists who write about economic policy from our nation's capital. your job is not easy but it is essential. virtually every american is affected by developments in economics and economic policy. contemporary economic issues are highly complex and a few non- specialists have the time or the background to master these issues on their on. the public has to rely on built- in reporting, clear thinking, and lucid writing of reporters determined to go beyond doing bumper stickers and sound bites to help people understand what they need to know to make a decision about in their personal finances and at the polls. these are weighed response a

. >> you are asking a theoretical question which i think jean-claude trichet could answer. i have understood with politicians, sometimes in this world of communication have much more power to her statements then it is always needed and it can be very constructive. it? that obviously -- speak it is a philosophical question. >> not at all, but i would say we have made a decision very clearly that we are moving on a path which is, i guess there will be -- this is a decision made in the european union, a lengthening of the debt we have today imf and the european union there've been discussions about the terms of the loan also. these are in the pipeline. all will be positive, and at the same time, i would say that we have to see you have mentioned the growth scenario in the european union, which is on the one hand a new confidence by the markets towards our country but it also is i would say using a number of methods, the eurobond. this is something that generally people have approved of as methods of investing in projects and particularly into a greener europe which i think is

i would love to discuss this question with ben bernanke or jean-claude trichet.have run out of time. before i sum up, i'd been asked to remind you to the japanese prime minister will be giving a message immediately after this. you are asked very kindly to stay and hear him. we have not had anybody from japan here on the paddle. it is an opportunity to find out what this country thinks. i have failed to shake the policymakers from their competence but they are in control. at the moment, we are definitely in a post crisis mode. confidence is very substantial, but fortunately, there are enough for is out there that maybe confidence will not become extinct over the next year. we can get it through the next year, there is a very strong sense of that on this panel. it has been a long list of risks mentioned. youth unemployment, a long list of very large issues out there. the general perspective is that we got through this crisis, thank you. there was striking confidence -- astonishing -- that the political commitment to the euro and that this system is going to survive

i think it's it's everybody a lot of money -- >> i will cut you off there, but i trichet thought you have given this. thank you. i appreciate -- that ought to have given this. thank you. -- i appreciate the thought you have given this. thank you. >> thank you. senator thune. >> i, like many of my colleagues, are very concerned about the steps to take to get this back on track and the spending and debt that continue to explode on a spirit if we don't start making hard decisions now, those decisions to get that much harder. mr. zandi, i would like to ask you how much you believe debt and deficit add drag on our economy, and if you don't believe it is today, when is the effect began -- does the effect begin? >> i think in the fiscal challenge is the number one challenge, and if we -- you -- don't address it in a clear and credible way, it will have significant negative applications for our economy, quickly. i don't think it is this year, but by 2012 and certainly by 2013 we will be seeing the ill effects of an action. i would counsel, however, that while it would be very prudent to lay

i would have loved to have discussed this question with jean claude trichet or ben bernanke but, unfortunately, neither is on the panel. we've run out of time. before i sum up, incredibly briefly, i've been sad to remind -- asked to remind you that the japanese prime minister will be giving a message immediately after this, and you're asked very kindly to stay and hear him. we haven't had anybody from japan here on the panel, so it's an opportunity to find out what this very important country actually thinks. i just make four points. as usual, i have failed to shake the policymakers from their, their confidence that they're in control and everything's going to be fine. at the moment we are definitely in a post-crisis mode in davos. as i like to think of it, a pre-crisis mode in davos. [laughter] confidence is very substantial but, fortunately, there are enough worries out there that maybe confidence won't become excessive over the next years. it's very much my view that maybe we can get through the next year. there's a very strong sense of that on this panel. but, of course, there's been a lon