Iran nuclear talks: 'Historic' agreement struck

World powers have reached a deal with Iran on limiting Iranian nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions.

Israeli Security Cabinet United in Opposition to Iran Deal

Senior Israeli ministers united today in opposition to the deal on Iran’s nuclear program after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Barack Obama the agreement threatened Israel’s existence.

U.S. deficit to dip in 2015 as era of dramatic declines ends: CBO

(Reuters) - The U.S. budget deficit will decline slightly to $468 billion this fiscal year, the lowest level since President Barack Obama took office, congressional forecasters said on Monday in a report heralding the end of a brief period of dramatically shrinking red ink.

G-20 and Australia had much riding on summit

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- The relevance of the Group of 20 exclusive club of nations and Australia's place on the world stage had a lot riding on the outcome of the weekend G-20 leaders' summit in the Australian city of Brisbane.

Obama renews pressure on Congress for minimum wage hike

President Barack Obama has said he will continue to press Congress to raise the federal minimum wage as the US rebounds from recession.

Markets nervous as Obama authorises Iraq air strikes

Stock markets reacted volatilely on Friday over ongoing worries about the impact of conflicts in Iraq and Ukraine.

Murdoch tells G20 governments to take a back seat for growth

(Reuters) - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Thursday criticized excessive financial regulation as stymieing free markets and urged Group of 20 governments to "take a back seat" to allow businesses to drive economic growth.

Putin Deports Executives for Speeding as Sanctions Loom

Even before the Ukraine standoff, foreign companies in Russia say they were alarmed by the number of executives being deported for minor infractions.

The debt ceiling crisis that ended with a whimper

The US Congress has agreed to raise the debt ceiling until March 2015, averting another crisis that almost four months ago threatened to trigger a default on US debt and plunge the global financial markets into chaos.

Jack Lew: US could default on debt by 'end of month'

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has warned the US may default on its debt by the end of the month if Congress does not raise its borrowing limit.

On jobs, US President Barack Obama calls 2014 'a year of action'

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is calling 2014 "a year of action" for creating jobs and economic opportunities for American families.

Budget deal reached, government shutdown averted

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reached a historic, last-minute agreement just before a midnight deadline to slash about $38 billion in federal spending and avert the first federal government shutdown in 15 years.

Australia hopes for China trade deal despite Huawei ban

Washington (AFP) - Australia said Friday it hoped to reach free trade agreements within months with China, as well as Japan and South Korea, despite a decision against telecom giant Huawei.

US economy is growing within five years of collapse: Barack Obama

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has credited the turnaround of American economy to the historic reforms in the Wall Street, put in place after the catastrophic financial crisis in 2008.

The shutdown's surprise effect on jobs numbers

WASHINGTON: The government shutdown may have affected October's jobs numbers. But not in the expected way.

Shutdown inflicted unnecessary damage to US economy: Barack Obama

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says the government shutdown ``inflicted unnecessary damage'' to the US economy and damaged America's credibility around the world.

EU sees US default risk for world economy

LUXEMBOURG: A possible US debt default would have "dramatic consequences" for the global economy, EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn warned on Monday.

Japan warns of 'consequences' in US debt battle

Japan's finance minister and top central banker on Friday urged Washington to resolve its political gridlock, warning a debt default could lead to grim "consequences" for the global economy.

US Treasury warns Congress of October deadline on debt ceiling

Treasury secretary Jacob Lew said Wednesday the government will have exhausted its borrowing authority by 17 October, leaving the United States just $30bn cash on hand to pay its bills.

The G-20: From unreal to surreal

Before we go more deeply into the Syrian swamp, a few comments on the recent G-20 summit.