United States

Tuesday, September 27th 2011 - 04:56 UTC
S&P faces first action by US government against a major credit rating agency

United States regulators disclosed they may take action against Standard & Poor's for securities law violations after the ratings agency gave top grades to a package of securitized mortgages in 2007 that quickly soured.
Saturday, September 24th 2011 - 22:13 UTC
Geithner calls on the Euro zone for a ‘firewall’ against the crisis spreading

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has called on European leaders to take urgent new steps to create a 'firewall' against the crisis spreading. He added that decisions on how to tackle Euro zone debt could not wait “until the crisis gets more severe”.
Saturday, September 24th 2011 - 22:11 UTC
US regulators close more banks with failures so far this year totalling 73

United States regulators on Friday closed banks in Virginia and California, lifting to 73 the number of US bank failures this year. The number of closures has dropped significantly this year as banks have worked their way through the bad debt accumulated in the recession. By this time last year, regulators had shuttered 127 banks.
Friday, September 23rd 2011 - 07:27 UTC
US and EU markets negative sentiment extends to Asian stocks with record losses

Asian stocks have fallen on Friday, with some indexes driving towards their worst weekly losses since 2008. The Group of 20 nations said they were ready to preserve stability in the financial markets.
Friday, September 23rd 2011 - 07:24 UTC
Euro debt crisis and US political division ‘biggest threats’ to global economy

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that the European debt crisis and the political divisions in the United States were the biggest threats to the global economy.
Thursday, September 22nd 2011 - 08:43 UTC
Obama tells Palestinians UN is not a short cut to negotiations with Israel

US President Barack Obama told the United Nations that the Palestinians deserved a state of their own, but that this would only be achieved through talks with Israel.
Wednesday, September 21st 2011 - 21:28 UTC
Fed injects more ‘accommodation’ liquidity to bonds’ market and housing

With three dissenting members the Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday further efforts to prop the US economy launching an accommodation program to put more downward pressure on long-term interest rates and increase its support for housing.
Wednesday, September 21st 2011 - 05:25 UTC
Obama and Rousseff address world crises and pledge new talks before G20 meeting

The world crisis was the main issue addressed by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff during the bilateral meetings with US President Barack Obama and later with her peer Mexico’s Felipe Calderon in New York.
Wednesday, September 21st 2011 - 05:13 UTC
End of ‘don’ ask, don’t tell’: gays can serve openly in the US military.

President Barack Obama hailed the end of the policy banning gays from serving openly in the US military, saying its official demise marked a key step toward fulfilling America's founding ideals.
Tuesday, September 20th 2011 - 09:12 UTC
Obama outlines tax the rich and reduce deficit plan; Republicans call it ‘class warfare’

President Barack Obama has outlined plans to reduce the US deficit and to kick-start economic growth. At the White House, he proposed cuts to healthcare benefits but said business and the wealthy must pay higher taxes.