United States

Monday, March 23rd 2009 - 08:25 UTC
US to announce Monday plan for purchase of banks’ toxic assets

A key adviser within US President Barack Obama's administration says she is “incredibly confident” the US economy will recover within 12 months. Christina Romer, head of the White House's economic advice council, told Fox TV “we will be seeing signs the economy is turning around”.
Monday, March 23rd 2009 - 07:53 UTC
Banking system losses in the US keep mounting: 32 billion in fourth quarter

United States banks lost 32.1 billion US dollars in the last quarter of 2008 - even worse than the 26.2 billion originally reported, US federal regulators say.
Saturday, March 21st 2009 - 08:47 UTC
Democratic Congress could hold surprises for Obama’s ambitious budgets

The US budget deficit will hit 1.8 trillion US dollars this year, a record amount, according to US Congress estimates. The White House said the prediction by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would not alter President Barack Obama's policy agenda, nor would it affect its goal to cut the deficit in half by 2013, it added.
Friday, March 20th 2009 - 06:53 UTC
US Congress reacts to AIG and targets Treasury Secretary

US lawmakers in the House of Representatives have voted in favour of a bill to levy a 90% tax on big bonuses from firms bailed out by taxpayers.
Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 16:47 UTC
Obama plans to visit Mexico April 16 and 17

US President Barack Obama has announced he will travel to Mexico next month, making his first trip to that country as president. Mexico's government says President Obama will visit the country on April 16 and 17.
Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 16:12 UTC
AIG chief admits “distasteful” excesses but points to the Fed

The boss of US insurer AIG has called the bonuses paid to executives “distasteful” and said he asked some recipients to return at least half. But Edward Liddy said the Federal Reserve knew in November of the 165 million US dollars bonus payments to executives that have caused such a furore in US.
Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 16:06 UTC
Federal Reserve will buy 1.2 trillion USD of debt to boost lending

The US Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it will buy almost 1.2 trillion US dollars worth of debt to help boost lending and promote economic recovery. The US central bank said it would start buying long-term government debt and expand purchases of mortgage-related debt.
Wednesday, March 18th 2009 - 15:29 UTC
AIG gives bonuses and challenges US president and Congress

Huge bonuses paid out by ailing insurer AIG will be deducted from the firm's next bail-out payment, the US treasury secretary says. In a letter to congressmen, Timothy Geithner said 165 million US dollars would be taken from 30 billion the firm is due to get as part of its government bail-out.
Wednesday, March 18th 2009 - 08:03 UTC
Nobel Prize Krugman says US and EU stimulus packages insufficient

The US economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman said Tuesday that Europe and the United States should at least double their fiscal efforts in order to salvage the global economy.
Tuesday, March 17th 2009 - 13:46 UTC
Businessman sentenced in Miami for suitcase cash scandal

A Venezuelan businessman was sentenced in Miami on Monday to four years in prison for acting as an unregistered agent of Venezuela in the United States. Franklin Duran had been convicted of conspiring to cover up the origin and destination of a suitcase stuffed with 800.000 US dollars in cash that was found in 2007 in a Buenos Aires airport.