Brazil central bank keeps key rate at 14.25%: official

Brasília (AFP) - Brazil's central bank on Wednesday opted to hold its benchmark interest rate at 14.25 percent for a sixth consecutive time, amid stubbornly high inflation and political uncertainty. Despite the flailing economy -- with a 3.8 percent shrink in GDP last year due to persist through 2016, according to the IMF -- the market consensus had been that the interest rate would not change. Price rises are forecast by the central bank to ease to 6.6 percent this year, then 4.9 percent