U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced his intention to nominate Roberta Jacobson, the assistant secretary of state for Latin America and the chief U.S. negotiator at the talks to resume diplomatic relations with Cuba, as the new ambassador to Mexico, the White House announced in a communiqué.
The US economy shrank 0.7% in the first three months of 2015, compared to the same period last year. The Bureau of Economic Analysis significantly revised down its earlier economic growth estimate of 0.2%.
The United States warned on Friday of a possible accident for the world economy if Greece and its creditors miss their June deadlines to avert a debt default. Germany said there was no sign of a breakthrough. The ongoing debate is taking place in Dresden, Germany in the framework of G7 Finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting.
The United States on Friday formally dropped Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the US State Department said in a statement. The removal of Cuba from the US terrorism list eliminates an obstacle toward restoring diplomatic ties between the United States and the communist-led Caribbean island state after 54 years.
Argentina's foreign ministry confirmed late Wednesday that United States had officially requested the extradition of three Argentine citizens allegedly involved in the US Justice Department investigation into FIFA corrupt dealings.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced this month the bipartisan Icebreaker Recapitalization Act with Washington Senator Maria Cantwell that would authorize the U.S. Navy to construct up to 6 heavy icebreakers. The new icebreakers would be designed and operated by the Coast Guard, since under US law it is the sole service responsible for icebreaking missions.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen made it clear on Friday that the central bank was poised to raise interest rates this year, as the US economy was set to bounce back from an early-year slump and as headwinds at home and abroad waned. The announcement was made in a speech to a business group in Rhode Island.
President Obama is looking to travel to Cuba’s capitol city of Havana before his tenure ends, White Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Thursday, the same day a Florida bank announced that the State Department has given them permission to make diplomatic transactions between the two nations.
Five of the world's largest banks are to pay fines totaling $5.7bn for charges including manipulating the foreign exchange market. Four of the banks - JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup and RBS - have agreed to plead guilty to US criminal charges, while the fifth, UBS from Switzerland will plead guilty to rigging benchmark interest rates.
Despite persistent denials of any wrongdoing from Caracas, US authorities are currently investigating Venezuela’s powerful parliamentary chief, Diosdado Cabello, and other senior officials over alleged cocaine-trafficking and money-laundering, the Wall Street Journal reported.