United States

Sunday, December 29th 2013 - 08:24 UTC
One for the White House: NSA program keeping phone call records is 'lawful'

A federal judge ruled that a National Security Agency program that collects records of millions of Americans' phone calls is lawful, calling it a “counter-punch” to terrorism that does not violate Americans' privacy rights.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 05:52 UTC
US economy picking up strength according to third quarter data

The United States economy grew at a surprisingly robust 4.1% annual pace in the third quarter according to the Commerce Department, which was the strongest advance in nearly two years and only the third time the economy had expanded that quickly from one quarter to the next since 2006.
Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:54 UTC
Brazil and Germany, with UN support hit back at US cyber spying

UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution aimed at protecting the right to privacy of internet users. The resolution was introduced by Brazil and Germany after allegations that the US had been eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including Brazil's Dilma Rousseff and Germany's Angela Merkel.
Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:41 UTC
Brazil expects to begin exporting matured beef to the US in first half of 2014

Brasilia and Washington have taken the latest technical steps to open the US market to Brazilian beef, which if all runs smoothly together with a 60 to 90 days public consultation period could see the first shipments in the second quarter of next year. Currently because of sanitary barriers linked to Foot and Mouth Disease, FMD, Brazil can only export industrialized beef to the US.
Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:28 UTC
US planning a new trade agreement with Latam, but through NAFTA

The President Barack Obama administration is “exploring” a regional trade plan for the Americas that would be the most ambitious hemispheric initiative in years, but contrary to the failed experience of George Bush's FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas), this time it would be instrumented through Nafta (North American Free Trade Agreement) partners Mexico and Canada, according to a Miami Herald interview of Andres Oppenheimer with Secretary of State John Kerry.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 06:01 UTC
Fed announces gradual conditioned tapering of stimuli from next January

The U.S. Federal Reserve will start scaling back its monthly bond-buying program as early as next month, but the reduction will be gradual. The Federal Reserve has been buying 85 billion dollars a month in government bonds in an effort to keep interest rates low and boost economic growth.
Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 05:55 UTC
US congress agrees budget deal reducing risk of government shutdown

On the same day the Federal Reserve announced tapering of stimulus, the US Senate passed a two-year budget deal to ease automatic spending cuts and reduce the risk of a government shutdown, but fights were already breaking out over how to implement the budget pact
Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 06:43 UTC
First ruling against US government 'metadata' collection; Obama meets top technology companies leaders

A US judge has ruled the National Security Agency's mass collection of telephone data may be unconstitutional. Federal District Judge Richard Leon said the electronic spy agency's practice was an “arbitrary invasion”.
Tuesday, December 17th 2013 - 17:10 UTC
Volcker rule making banking 'boring' (and limiting speculation) enforced in US financial system

All five US financial regulators have approved the Volcker rule, designed to restrict the finance industry in the wake of the 2008-09 financial collapse. Named after former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, it bans banks from using their own funds for trading activities and it is considered the centerpiece of the 2010 banking reform legislation known as Dodd-Frank.Banks will have until 21 July 2015 to comply with the rules.
Tuesday, December 17th 2013 - 02:18 UTC
US insists Obama remains open to a state visit from Brazil's Dilma Rousseff

The new US ambassador in Brazil Liliana Ayalde said President Barack Obama is prepared to receive his Brazilian peer Dilma Rousseff. The statement comes weeks after a state visit planned for last October was suspended by Dilma in protest over revelations of extensive US spying of Brazilian communications including the mobiles of the Brazilian leader.