United States

• Thursday, May 28th 2009 - 12:07 UTC

  US reintroduction of dairy export subsidies trigger barrage of criticisms

  

  Twenty-nine countries at the World Trade Organization criticized the United States on Wednesday for reintroducing export subsidies on US dairy products, calling the handouts a dangerous retreat into protectionism and warning of “subsidy wars.”

• Wednesday, May 27th 2009 - 06:30 UTC

  Obama nominates Latino woman to Supreme Court

  

  President Barack Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the country's Supreme Court. Ms Sotomayor, 54, who has now to be approved by a Senate vote, would be the first Hispanic to take the position.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 15:21 UTC

  Obama signs credit card holders “Bill of Rights”

  

  Credit card companies in the US will be bound by new restrictions on their ability to charge fees, or raise interest rates on existing borrowings. On Friday, President Barack Obama is signed a new law which will come into full effect next February.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 15:05 UTC

  Obama administration invites Cuba to resume migration talks

  

  The United States Department said on Friday it had offered to resume talks with Cuba about Cuban migration to the United States, a fresh sign of US President Barack Obama’s effort to comply, even partially, with the virtually unanimous request from Latinamerica to improve relations with the Castro regime.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 14:51 UTC

  Bolivia and US agree to improve bilateral ties

  

  Bolivian President Evo Morales has called for a complete overhaul of his country's strained ties with the US. He urged “mutual respect” between the two nations, saying Washington should not interfere in Bolivia's affairs.

• Saturday, May 23rd 2009 - 14:47 UTC

  US ends week with three regional banks seized by FDIC and new owners

  

  United States banking regulators seized two banks in Illinois late Friday as the financial crisis claimed its 35th and 36th federally insured financial institutions of 2009. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) estimated the failure of Strategic Capital Bank and Citizens National Bank would cost 279 million US dollars.

• Friday, May 22nd 2009 - 12:07 UTC

  Obama sends a letter to Cristina for the May 25th celebration

  

  United States president Barack Obama has sent a letter to President Cristina Fernandez praising Argentina’s efforts “to work as a constructive and stabilizing force in the region and beyond”.

• Thursday, May 21st 2009 - 11:12 UTC

  US Congress strong message to Argentina on defaulted obligations

  

  American Task Force Argentina (ATFA), a coalition of more than 40 taxpayer, investor, educator, Latino and agriculture organizations, commended members of the United States House of Representatives for introducing legislation imposing stiff penalties on wealthy and middle-income nations that, like Argentina, refuse to honour obligations to US creditors.

• Saturday, May 16th 2009 - 13:26 UTC

  US consumer prices in April remained unchanged

  

  US consumer prices were unchanged in April, but recorded their largest year-on-year drop for more than 50 years, official data showed. Meanwhile producer prices jumped more than expected pushed by the biggest rise in food costs in more than a year.

• Saturday, May 16th 2009 - 10:37 UTC

  General Motors to close 1.100 dealerships

  

  General Motors, the US auto giant, has told 1.100 dealerships that they will be closed down as the company struggles to survive amid an economic crisis. The shutdowns are just part of a larger plan to shut 2.600 of its 6.200 dealerships as the car manufacturer makes cuts in an attempt to become profitable again. The move is likely to cause the loss of thousands of jobs across the US.