United States

• Monday, November 17th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Crucial week for the survival of US auto industry

  United States president-elect Barack Obama said all parties involved in the US auto industry should come together to formulate an economic survival plan.

• Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Soros forecasts “decimation” of hedge funds

  

  Billionaire investor George Soros offered a gloomy outlook for the US economy, stating that a depression is possible. Testifying at a US Lower House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Thursday, Soros predicted that not only will the US muddle through a “deep recession,” but that hedge funds will be “decimated” by the current financial crisis.

• Friday, November 14th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  US October retail sales plunge but Wal-Mart's up 2.4%

  United States retail sales fell 2.8% in October, the largest drop on record for the month and another sign that US consumers are clamping down amid the faltering economy, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

• Thursday, November 13th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Obama will not be at financial summit; sends two emissaries

  

  President-elect Barack Obama named former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Republican Representative Jim Leach as his emissaries at the international economic summit hosted by President George Bush in Washington on November 14/15.

• Wednesday, November 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Paulson changes focus of bail out plan to spur liquidity

  

  The 700 billion US dollars bail-out package has already “clearly helped stabilise” the financial system, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Wednesday but he also warned there were still many challenges ahead and market turbulence was likely to continue for some time.

• Sunday, November 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Obama and Latam: “no major initiatives, change of tone”

  

  No major changes or initiatives, but a change in tone” - that is the commonly-held view of Washington analysts on Barack Obama's likely policies towards Latin America.

• Saturday, November 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Obama pledges to confront crisis “head on”, but no specifics

  US president-elect Barack Obama, vowed on Friday to confront the current economic crisis “head on” in his first news conference since his victory in Tuesday's election.

• Saturday, November 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Economics Nobel Prize Stiglitz and the “next Bretton Woods”

  The world is sinking into a major global slowdown, likely to be the worst in a quarter-century, perhaps since the Great Depression. This crisis was “made in America,” in more than one sense.

• Friday, November 7th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Obama names “wise men council” to discuss US economy

  

  US President-elect Barack Obama has appointed a team of high-level advisers including billionaire investor Warren Buffett and Google chief executive Eric Schmidt to guide his thoughts on the economy ahead of taking office on January 20.

• Thursday, November 6th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  First names of Obama's future administration

  

  Barack Obama has started forming his administration by asking Rahm Emanuel, a former adviser to President Clinton, to be his chief-of-staff. US President-elect Obama is expected to appoint a new treasury secretary soon.