United States

• Wednesday, August 24th 2011 - 04:24 UTC

  Strong earthquake rattles Washington, New York, Virginia and Toronto area

  

  A strong earthquake rattled the United States East Coast, sending tremors as far as Canada, shaking Washington and scaring thousands of office workers who fled onto the streets.

• Tuesday, August 23rd 2011 - 06:33 UTC

  After effects of downgrading US credit rating: KO for S&P president

  

  Standard & Poor's (S&P) president Deven Sharma has stepped down just weeks after the agency downgraded the US credit rating. He will be replaced by Douglas Peterson, chief operating officer of Citibank with effect from 12 September, the agency said.

• Monday, August 22nd 2011 - 07:19 UTC

  Biden tells China US power not waning and anticipates a bumpy 2012

  

  US Vice President Joe Biden rejected views that US power is waning and said Washington would never default, wrapping up a China visit that has played down tensions between the world's two biggest economies. He also anticipated 2012 was a ‘transition year” both for the US and China

• Saturday, August 20th 2011 - 06:26 UTC

  “Years to lower unemployment” with US economy so slow, says Fed member

  

  The United States economy is growing so slowly that it will take years to wrench lofty unemployment rates back to normal levels, Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Sandra Pianalto said.

• Friday, August 19th 2011 - 10:16 UTC

  US reviews deportation policy involving 300.000 illegal immigrants

  

  US President Obama administration said Thursday it would postpone the deportation of illegal immigrants without criminal records and allow them to apply for work permits as it reviews over 300.000 cases.

• Friday, August 19th 2011 - 01:59 UTC

  US Terrorism report: Argentina has not advanced in ‘anti-money laundering activities”

  

  The US Department of State released it’s 2010 Country Reports on Terrorism, in which it praised Argentina for “cooperating well” with the US in analyzing possible terrorist threat information,” although it warned about the country’s “virtually no progress toward addressing anti-money laundering and counterterrorist finance activities.

• Wednesday, August 17th 2011 - 07:06 UTC

  Fitch reaffirms US sterling AAA rating but calls for political agreement

  

  Fitch Ratings on Tuesday reaffirmed the United States' AAA credit rating. The move comes less than two weeks after Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States' long-term debt to AA+.

• Wednesday, August 17th 2011 - 00:49 UTC

  United States recovers position as world’s leading exporter of beef

  

  The United States has recaptured its position as the world’s leading exporter of beef, outpacing Brazil and Australia, according to the latest statistics released by the US Department of Agriculture. Mexico a traditional market and Latin American countries proved to be among the most dynamic.

• Tuesday, August 16th 2011 - 06:16 UTC

  Ambassador in Brazil Shannon back to Washington to help undermanned State Department

  

  US Ambassador to Brazil Thomas Shannon is returning to Washington to serve as acting Undersecretary of state for political affairs while the State Department awaits the confirmation of President Barack Obama’s nominee for the post, Wendy Sherman.

• Monday, August 15th 2011 - 23:41 UTC

  Buffett calls on the US Congress to “stop coddling the super rich”

  

  Warren Buffett has called for Congress to make him and his “mega-rich friends” pay more income tax. In a piece in The New York Times newspaper, the billionaire investor and philanthropist said the rich should do more to help plug the deficit.