United States stocks plunged Thursday with the Dow Jones falling to its second worst close so far this year, as reports of liquidating hedge funds triggered more credit-related anxiety
Analysts in Chile are speculating that the recent White House nomination of Paul E. Simons as United States ambassador to Chile, replacing Craig Kelly, indicates the U.S. is giving special importance to Latin America's energy politics.
Fearing that inflation will fail to moderate as expected the United States Federal Reserve Open Market Committee left on Tuesday interest rates unchanged. Analysts had widely predicted the Federal Reserve would leave rates at 5.25% for a 13th month, and that was the unanimous verdict of the Fed panel.
Stock markets across Asia have suffered heavy falls on fresh concerns over the impact of the problems in the US housing market which on Tuesday caused sharp losses on Wall Street.
Shockwaves of still unknown impact crashed through financial markets Tuesday when the United States Melville-based American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. announced it was suffering credit problems and would consider going into liquidation among other options.
A key United States Senate committee supported new measures to protect US business and workers from what it says are unfair currency manipulation by China. The move is seen as a warning to China which US politicians say has depressed the value of the Yuan to boost trade.
The United States on Thursday quickly rejected the idea of dialogue with Cuba's communist government, floated by its interim leader Raul Castro during the celebration of the Cuban Revolution Day, July 26.
The United States economy grew faster than expected over the past three months, 3.4% on an annual basis, the best quarterly performance since early 2006. In the previous quarter the economy expanded 0.6%.
With 18 months left in office, President George W Bush is in the running for most unpopular president in the history of modern polling. The latest Washington Post-ABC shows that 65% of United States citizens disapprove of Bush's job performance, matching his all-time low.
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke revived fears Wednesday that the housing slump could derail a pick-up in the US economy. In his semiannual testimony before the US Congress, Bernanke predicted moderate economic growth through the second half with a bit of strengthening in 2008.