Long lasting recession

US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke is warning Congress that the recession now affecting the country could last into 2010.



Mr Bernanke is insisting that without the right policies from the government, the financial crisis could last longer than first predicted.



He said 2010 could be a year of recovery if the Obama administration and the central bank are able to restore some measure of financial stability.



In its attempts to revive the economy, the Federal Reserve has cut its key interest rate to nearly zero, while the Obama administration has recently signed a 787 billion dollar economic stimulus package.



Mr Bernanke said the potential economic turnaround would hinge on the success of such measures in getting credit and financial markets to operate more normally again.