United States

• Tuesday, March 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed cuts rates to 2.25% and Paulson denies recession

  

  The Federal Reserve cut US interest rates sharply (0.75%) in an attempt to restore confidence to nervous financial markets and boost the ailing economy. However the cut was smaller than markets expected and the rate now stands at 2.25% (down from 3%), almost at inflation level.

• Tuesday, March 18th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  US has always had “a good relation with Venezuela”, says Rice

  

  United States has no enemies in Latinamerica, said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who also praised regional leaders' role in downplaying the impact of the incident and tension between Colombia and Ecuador.

• Monday, March 17th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed takes new steps to ease crisis

  

  Worry about the damage a growing credit crisis is inflicting on an ailing U.S. economy led the Federal Reserve to make a rare weekend move, lowering a key lending rate before Wall Street opened Monday.

• Friday, March 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Fed bails out leading Wall Street bank: who's next?

  

  One of the United States leading investment banks, Bear Stearns received on Friday emergency funding, in a move that raises fears that one of Wall Street's biggest names is on the verge of collapsing.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  US cruise passengers to be reimbursed “fuel surcharges”

  One of the world's top cruise operators has agreed to reimburse US passengers for fuel surcharges that were not adequately disclosed, the Florida attorney general announced Monday.

• Sunday, March 9th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Obama wins Wyoming Democratic caucus with 59% of the vote

  

  Barack Obama on Saturday night comfortably won caucuses in the western US state of Wyoming, as the Illinois senator sought to regain momentum in the race for the Democratic nomination after defeats to rival Hillary Clinton in Texas and Ohio last week.

• Friday, March 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Record peak of US home foreclosures in fourth quarter 2007

  The number of US home foreclosures, and the rate of homes entering the process, reached record highs in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the US Mortgage Bankers Association.

• Friday, March 7th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Spanish real estate boom funded by black money claims US

  

  The United States State Department 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report makes a link and describes Spain as the “grand European centre for money laundering”, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle.

• Thursday, March 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  McCain ready to take Hillary-Obama or Obama-Hillary ticket

  Encouraged by her big primary victories Hillary Clinton hinted on Wednesday at the possibility of sharing the United States Democratic presidential ticket with Barack Obama as vicepresident hopeful. But Obama stressed that he still holds the lead in number of delegates.

• Wednesday, March 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Bernanke calls on bankers to prevent rise in foreclosures

  

  The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has said more should be done to prevent homeowners facing foreclosures unnecessarily. Bernanke warned there had been a 50% rise in foreclosures in 2007 to one and a half million, and this is expected to worsen as mortgage repayments rise.
  
  The Fed chairman told a meeting of US bankers that the situation called for a “vigorous response”. This would help communities and the wider economy, he said.