In a press conference following the central bank’s latest policy meeting, at which it left interest rates unchanged after three consecutive cuts, Jerome Powell was pressed on the current economic climate, the Fed’s approach to future policy decisions, as well as his own future once his term ends in May.

The January meeting marks the first since Fed Chair Jerome Powell confirmed the Department of Justice subpoenaed the central bank.

Powell left some advice to the next Fed chair. "Don't get pulled into elected politics," Powell said. "Don't do it."

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that the UK has reopened discussions with the US over the Chagos Islands deal. The prime minister has also signed a pact with China’s President Xi Jinping to share intelligence to tackle people traffickers in the Channel.

The Federal Reserve is nearing an interest rate decision at its January meeting. Jerome Powell is under growing pressure amid a DOJ investigation.

The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its key interest rate at the target range of 3.5% to 3.75%, but traders are looking for hints on next steps for policy.

WASHINGTON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that he attended last week's Supreme Court arguments over President Donald Trump's effort to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook because of the case's importance to the U.

Wall Street also braced for earnings from megacap tech companies in a day that saw the S&P 500 (^GSPC) vault briefly over the 7,000 mark for the first time. The S&P 500 slipped fractionally from its record.