Check out the headline at the bottom left of the Sunday Times front page. The man the London paper calls the most powerful banker on Earth says he is "just a banker 'doing God’s work'" .

The report says Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein"proudly pays himself more in a year than most of us could ever dream of — $68m in 2007 alone, a record for any Wall Street CEO, to add to the more than $500m of Goldman stock he owns" .

Goldman Sachs looks set to pay about $20 billion in bonuses for its top traders this year, at a time when the fallout from last year's financial crisis is still being felt and the United States unemployment rate has hit 10.2 percent, a 26-1/2-year high.

In his defence, Blankfein said in the interview: "We help companies to grow by helping them to raise capital. Companies that grow create wealth. This, in turn, allows people to have jobs that create more growth and more wealth. It’s a virtuous cycle ... We have a social purpose."

** This post is from Alertnet, the Thomson Reuters Foundation's global  humanitarian news Web site.**

Earthquakes, floods, the global recession and recurrent famines have been keeping aid professionals across the world as busy as ever. Such crises hit poor countries the hardest, focusing increasing attention on preventing and preparing for disasters rather than dealing with their devastating aftermath.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is one of the biggest sources of humanitarian and development aid in the world. For emergency response to recent earthquakes in Indonesia, it has provided $4.4 million - more than any other donor so far.

To help the Philippines currently recovering from two typhoons, the European Union and some member-states have contributed a total of $5.6 million - again, more than sent or promised by any other foreign donor.

How to help the developing world, not just when they are disasters, will be at the core of debates among heads of states, top European Union officials, Nobel Prize winners and other experts at an international conference in Stockholm between Oct. 22 and Oct. 24, called European Development Days.

Ahead of the conference, European Union Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Karel De Gucht will take questions from readers on this year's topics for discussion: the impact of the economic crisis on developing countries, climate change and the link between democracy and development.

You can participate by using the comments section below or by using the #askEUaid tag on Twitter. Please post your questions by Thursday, Oct. 15.

We will get as many of your questions to De Gucht as possible and will publish his replies by the end of the week, so keep checking back!

New to Twitter? If you aren't using Twitter already but want to post a question or see what other people are asking De Gucht through Twitter, just get yourself a Twitter account, search for the #askEUaid tag and view all questions. You can post a 140-character question yourself, making sure you use the #askEUaid tag somewhere in your post so it sits with all the other posts from people across the Twittersphere.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Wednesday to make its deepest output cut ever to counter slumping demand and falling oil prices.  The output cut has been received with cautious optimism by analysts.

Some say that the price of oil will fall further, while others say $40 a barrel was the lowest it will go. “If you look at the market, prices are going up immediately,” said Frank Schallenberger, head of commodity research at Landesbank. “I really think this is the end of a bear market. $40 was the bottom.”

However, the White House called to the historic cut “short-sighted” and said the oil cartel has an obligation to keep the market well-supplied. “It’s not clear that OPEC’s actions will be effective given the shift in global demand and the ability of OPEC members to meet the cartel’s targets,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

Will the price of oil continue to drop or will it recover? And how will the oil supply cut trickle down to the consumer in terms of cost?

A London businessman may have to put off his wedding. A baker in Paris fears customers will disappear. A student in Slovenia sees an automobile loan fall out of reach. A real estate agent in Chicago says she’s just plain scared.

And in France, more Parisians appear to be storing their money the old-fashioned way : in a safe.

What are you doing differently due to the meltdown in the world financial markets? Leave your answer in comments. If you’d like us to include your comments in a Reuters wrap-up, please include your name, location and profession.

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, plans to charge $15 for a passenger’s first checked bag, starting in mid-June.

The airline is trying to claw back more of its extra fuel costs but the move is unprecedented for a major American carrier. (More on American’s cost-cutting measures here). Will this lead to even more of a struggle boarding the plane as passengers force their bags into overhead bins? What impact will American’s move have on air travel in the U.S.?

The closest surviving relatives to President John. F. Kennedy are backing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Hillary Clinton brushed off the Kennedy endorsements, saying “at the end of the day this is not about anyone else other than the candidates.”

What impact - if any - do you expect this endorsement will have on Obama’s campaign?

Treasury Secretary Paulson thinks state and local governments should be permitted to issue tax-exempt bonds that would fund programs to prevent foreclosures.

Analysts caution Treasury’s plans to help subprime borrowers will not completely save banks from home loan pain. “If you postpone the inevitable, you’ll just draw out the pain for a longer period of time,” Nandu Narayanan, a portfolio manager at hedge fund Trident Investment Management, told Reuters.

Others, reacting to an expectation on Friday that Treasury is seeking to freeze mortgage rates, said it seems unfair to bail people out.

What are your thoughts on the government’s effort to try and stem foreclosures stemming from resets on subprime mortgages?

Google Inc. has confirmed plans to bid for the airwaves that will soon be given up by television broadcasters. The frequencies, known as the 700 MHz band, will be put up for sale in a government auction that begins on Jan. 24.

Google’s interest is sparking speculation on what they’ll do with the airwaves if they win. Blogger Om Malik breaks down the process and sees the potential for a broadband communications network. Robert X. Cringely, a tech writer, is speculating that Apple Inc. is linked to to Google’s bid.

What do you think Google plans to do if it wins? Build a nationwide WiFi network linked to the Internet via the new frequencies? An alternate cellphone network? Sound off in the comment box below.

Venezuelans vote on Dec. 2 in a referendum on constitutional changes proposed by President Hugo Chavez that will scrap term limits. The polls show the virulently anti-U.S. Chavez will likely win with the backing of the nation’s poor, who support his oil-financed food and health subsidies. Yet pollsters say voters appear evenly split over Chavez’s reform package after a campaign hit by violent demonstrations. Opponents of the left-wing leader say they fear his reforms will allow him to be president for life while supporters say he is giving more political participation to the poor.

What impact do you think a victory for Chavez will have on Venezuela, the rest of Latin American politics and U.S. foreign policy?

What’s the pain point for American drivers at the gas pump?

If the cost of crude remains high into next spring, analysts expect gasoline prices could rise to a never-before-seen $3.50 or $4 a gallon, Reuters Robert Campbell concludes here. (Check here for a Factbox on why oil prices are trading at a record high.)

Tell us what you think. Comment below.