Oct. 10, 2008 (LPAC)-- According to Bloomberg news, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that political leaders are discussing the idea of closing the world's finanical markets while they "Rewrite the rules of international finance... The idea of suspending the markets for the time it takes to rewrite the rules is being dicussed." A solution to the financial crisis "can't just be for one country, or even just for Europe, but global." Berlusconi further said that leaders are "talking about a new Bretton Woods."

However, a White House spokesman later said that Berlusconi has since reversed his remarks about suspending the markets. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said in an E-mail: "There are absolutely no plans or dicussions to interfere with the functioning of markets in the United States."