United States

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Bush's Presidential medals for Uribe, Blair and Howard

  United Status outgoing president George W. Bush will be presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe and to the former prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair and John Howard from Australia.

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  On his last days Bush turns advocate of maritime monuments

  A vast swathe of the Pacific, including an area near New Zealand territory, has been declared part of a United States national maritime monument. President George Bush, in the dying days of his administration, made the startling declaration by saying in the White House “we're fixing to do some fabulous policy”.

• Wednesday, January 7th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Obama takes off with 1,2 trillion budget deficit, 8.3% of GDP

  The sharp slowdown in the US economy will push the federal budget deficit to more than one trillion US dollars, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced Wednesday. The 1.186 trillion USD deficit for the fiscal year ending on 30 September would be the largest on record.

• Friday, December 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  President Bush revokes pardon to NY property developer

  US President George W Bush has taken the unusual step of reversing a pardon he had announced only a day earlier for a New York property developer. Isaac Robert Toussie, convicted of making false statements to a government department and mail fraud, was one of 19 people President Bush pardoned on Tuesday.

• Thursday, December 25th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Wiesel foundation looses all assets to Madoff's Ponzi fraud

  

  The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity lost more than 15 million US dollars, nearly all of its assets, in the fraud scheme run by Wall Street financer Bernard Madoff, the fund said Wednesday in a short release.

• Tuesday, December 23rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Caterpillar slashing white-collar pay and planning job cuts

  Caterpillar Inc, the world's largest maker of heavy construction and mining equipment, said Monday it is cutting white-collar pay by up to 50% and offering buyouts to as many as 25.000 US employees as it looks to cut costs during what it characterized as “uncertain times.”

• Monday, December 22nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Leading global warming experts join Obama's cabinet

  

  US President-elect Barack Obama has nominated two leading global warming specialists for key science posts in his administration. Harvard physicist John Holdren will be Mr Obama's scientific adviser while marine biologist Jane Lubchenco will head the US oceanic research body.

• Saturday, December 20th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Big Three rescue loan brings relief but is no handout

  Citing imminent danger to the US economy, President Bush ordered Friday an emergency bailout of the US auto industry Friday, offering 17.4 billion USD in rescue loans and demanding tough concessions from the deeply troubled carmakers and their workers.

• Friday, December 19th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  U.S Defense Sec.Gates orders plan to close Guantanamo

  

  U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is has ordered his staff to prepare a plan for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center, to be ready for possible implementation soon after President-elect Barack Obama takes office January 20.

• Thursday, December 18th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Hedge fund fraud king with house arrest and electronic tag

  

  Bernard Madoff, the hedge fund boss accused of a 50 billion US dollars fraud, has put up 10 million bail and in effect been placed under house arrest. Mr Madoff turned up at New York's federal court to sign some papers but did not answer reporters' questions.