United States

• Friday, April 10th 2009 - 10:32 UTC

  US February trade deficit smallest since November 1999

  

  The US trade deficit has narrowed to a new-year low in February, the seventh month in a row it has shrunk. The difference between what the US exports and imports, narrowed by 28% to 26.3 billion from January's revised 36.2 billion, becoming the smallest gap since November 1999.

• Wednesday, April 8th 2009 - 05:38 UTC

  First meeting of Uruguay chancellor with Hillary Clinton

  

  The coming Americas summit in Trinidad Tobago, bilateral affairs and regional issues was the long agenda addressed by Uruguay’s Foreign Affairs minister Gonzalo Fernandez during a meeting Monday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the US State Department.

• Wednesday, April 8th 2009 - 05:21 UTC

  Fidel Castro meets with three US members of Congress

  

  Former Cuban President Fidel Castro has held a meeting with three members of the US House of Representatives. The event was his first known meeting with US officials since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in 2006.

• Tuesday, April 7th 2009 - 11:58 UTC

  First face-to-face talks of Raul Castro with US Congress members

  

  Cuban president Raul Castro has held talks with members of Congress in his first face-to-face meeting with US politicians since he became president last year. State television showed Mr Castro talking to members of the delegation, which is in Havana to explore ways of improving US-Cuban relations.

• Tuesday, April 7th 2009 - 07:00 UTC

  Ford slashes debt and dashes ahead in US auto industry restructure

  

  Ford Motor Co said on Monday it has slashed automotive debt by 38%, 9.9 billion US dollars, bolstering its finances amid a deep auto industry downturn. Markets reacted with Ford shares up over 15%.

• Tuesday, April 7th 2009 - 05:20 UTC

  “US is not at war with Islam” Obama tells Turkish parliament

  

  During his first visit to a Muslim nation United States president Barack Obama said the US ”is not and will never be at war with Islam''. In an address to the Turkish parliament in Ankara on Monday, he called for a greater partnership with the Muslim world.

• Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 09:50 UTC

  Guess who the most popular politician on earth is

  

  United States President Barack Obama, wildly popular the world over, said he isn't the globe's most admired politician: the title belongs to Brazil Lula da Silva

• Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 07:07 UTC

  US unemployment in March reaches 8.5%

  

  Another 663.000 United States workers lost their jobs in March, slightly more than the 658.000 that had been expected. The US unemployment rate has now hit 8.5%, up from 8.1% in February. Earlier this week, the IMF said it expects the unemployment rate in the developed world to nudge above 10% in 2010.

• Friday, April 3rd 2009 - 10:19 UTC

  Last minute agreement on tax havens completes G20 agenda

  

  As G20 negotiations on a new regulatory blueprint bogged down, President Barack Obama pulled French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chinese President Hu Jintao into a corner of a room in London’s Excel Centre, according to press reports from London.

• Friday, April 3rd 2009 - 09:12 UTC

  Bipartisan support in US to lift travel restrictions to Cuba

  

  United States senators from both parties, backed by activists and businessmen, began promoting a bill this week to lift travel restrictions to Cuba, and apparently have the necessary votes for approval.