Yellen approved as Bernanke's successor to head up Fed

Janet Yellen has been voted in by the US Senate to become the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve.

The vote to approve her was 56-26, with particular support from the Democrats, while many Republicans voted against her appointment. She will succeed Ben Bernanke on 31 January, when his second four-year term as chairman expires. Yellen (pictured) is currently the Fed's vice chair and will become the first woman to run the US central bank in its 100-year history. She takes over the reigns as the bank finally begins to unwind its monetary stimulus, a decision announced at the end of 2013. Yellen was a key force behind the bank's efforts to boost the US economy, most notably votin...