United States

Monday, June 27th 2011 - 18:48 UTC
Federal Reserve will remain biggest buyer of US Treasury bills

The Federal Reserve will remain the biggest buyer of Treasuries, even after the second round of quantitative easing ends this week, as the central bank uses its 2.86 trillion US dollars balance sheet to keep interest rates low.
Monday, June 27th 2011 - 16:48 UTC
US consumer spending flat in May reflecting a fall in auto sales

Consumer spending in the United States was unchanged in May for the first time in almost a year, likely reflecting a plunge in auto sales, according to a US government report, that also showed a build-up in underlying inflation pressures.
Saturday, June 25th 2011 - 10:17 UTC
Great victory for gay rights movement: New York legalizes same-sex marriage

New York lawmakers narrowly voted to legalize same-sex marriage Friday, handing activists a breakthrough victory in the state where the gay rights movement was born. New York thus becomes the sixth state in the US where gay couples can wed and the biggest by far.
Friday, June 24th 2011 - 22:44 UTC
US economy expanded at a 1.9% annual pace in the first quarter

The United States economy grew at a 1.9% pace in the first quarter marking the start of what Federal Reserve policy makers anticipate is a temporary slowdown in growth.
Thursday, June 23rd 2011 - 23:19 UTC
Release of strategic reserves (to counter Libya’s absence) rattles world oil market

Oil rose in New York, recovering from a plunge sparked by an International Energy Agency announcement that its members will release crude from strategic reserves.
Wednesday, June 22nd 2011 - 23:36 UTC
Fed admits it does not have a “precise read” of why US economy is slowing

The Federal Reserve has cut its growth forecast for the US economy in the face of the impact of higher energy prices. It now estimates that the US economy will expand between 2.7% and 2.9% this year, down from its April forecast of 3.1% to 3.3%.
Friday, June 17th 2011 - 06:03 UTC
US current account deficit up 6.3% spurred by imports of more expensive oil

The US current account deficit rose 6.3% to $119.3bn in the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department has said. Strong exports of cars, computers and machinery were offset by imports, particularly of more expensive oil.
Thursday, June 16th 2011 - 01:48 UTC
Under pressure Argentina returns seized cargo from US military plane

The US embassy in Buenos Aires announced this week that the Argentine government has finally returned the cargo seized from an American military plane that landed at the Ezeiza airport amidst espionage accusations last February.
Tuesday, June 14th 2011 - 22:08 UTC
Iraq reconstruction 6.6bn USD are missing, says official US investigation

Some 6.6bn US dollars flown into Iraq eight years ago may have been stolen, according to a US official investigating fraud in the country. The missing money may represent “the largest theft of funds in national history”, investigator Stuart Bowen told the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
Monday, June 13th 2011 - 12:10 UTC
US main interest is a “stable Argentina”, warns Falklands Task Force head

The head of the Royal Navy Task Force that recovered the Falkland Islands during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict has warned about UK defense cuts and underlined that United States has little interest in supporting Britain in any conflict since a stable Argentina is more important to the State Department.