ECB compromises with Germany over QE programme: FT

The European Central Bank (ECB) will next week announce plans to directly buy government bonds, creating new money to fight off possible deflation despite German objections, according to Saturday's FT. The ECB holds its first policy meeting of the year on Thursday and is widely expected to announce some sort of programme of sovereign bond purchases -- or Quantitive Easing -- to try to kick-start the eurozone's sluggish economy.