UNITED STATES

Amid a debate on whether clean coal is like healthy cigarettes or not, energy secretary Steven Chu said on Wednesday the U.S. must take global leadership in clean coal technologies.

The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday slashed growth forecasts for every major country and urged governments to take forceful action to ensure the world economy's recovery from a severe recession.

A Congressional panel huddled on Wednesday to consider legislation that would curb high credit card fees and penalties by many banks that have benefited from the federal government's bailout program.

Rather than wait for decent broadband and Internet access to arrive in their war-battered nation, Iraqis can use an abundance of cellphones to exploit the Web, a group of U.S. technology executives urged on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama was criticized harshly on Wednesday for leaving the door open to the prosecution of former Bush administration officials who authorized severe CIA interrogation procedures.

U.S. securities regulators charged a prominent hedge fund industry executive on Wednesday with failing to properly review collapsed hedge fund Bayou Group before recommending that their clients invest.

U.S. auto dealer representatives will meet with the government task force charged with retooling the auto industry on Thursday to make the case that a bankruptcy for General Motors Corp should not be an option, a dealer group said on Wednesday.

Plunging profit at Volkswagen (VOWG.DE), slumping sales at PSA Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA) and job cuts by Volvo (VOLVb.ST) on Wednesday highlighted the dire state of Europe's automotive industry.

U.S. regulators want the top 19 banks being stress-tested to have at least 3 percent tangible common equity, according to a source familiar with the regulatory talks.

The finance chief of troubled U.S. mortgage giant Freddie Mac, David Kellermann, was found dead on Wednesday after apparently committing suicide, a police source said.

U.S. single family homes saw a seasonally adjusted price increase of 0.7 percent in February from January, the amount however remains down 6.5 percent from a year earlier, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said on Wednesday.

Stocks rose on Wednesday as several corporate executives gave positive outlooks that eased concerns about the global recession, while better-than-expected results from AT&T Inc lifted technology shares.

The judge overseeing Microsoft's antitrust settlement extended her monitoring of the software giant by 18 months on Wednesday, while noting the oversight was at a much better place than a few months ago.

General Motors Corp is unlikely to make a $1 billion debt payment due June 1 because it expects to be in the process of restructuring its debt through a voluntary exchange or bankruptcy court by that point, a spokeswoman for the automaker said on Wednesday.

AT&T Inc posted a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit on improved margins for its wireless service, helped by the iPhone, and strong growth for its video and high-speed Internet service.

U.S. auto dealer representatives will meet with the government task force charged with retooling the auto industry on Thursday to make the case that a bankruptcy for General Motors Corp should not be an option, people briefed on the planned meeting told Reuters on Wednesday.

Prices of U.S. single-family homes rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in February from January but were down 6.5 percent from a year earlier, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Wednesday as several corporate executives gave positive outlooks that eased concerns about the global recession, while a better-than-expected profit from AT&T lifted technology shares.

Boeing Co said its quarterly profit narrowed due to order deferrals by cash-strapped airlines, but its shares rose as the planemaker affirmed its production schedule.

Using a mobile phone to send text messages or surf the Web by laptop will be up to 60 percent cheaper for travelers in the European Union under price curbs adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Ford Motor Co said Tuesday it expects first quarter results to be lower, but shares jumped on as analyst upgraded the firm citing a brighter future.