U.S.

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report on Monday, saying the H1N1 swine flu poses a serious health threat to the United States and could kill as many as 90,000 Americans.

U.S. mortgage-backed securities risk premiums are about a half-percentage point below where they would be if it were not for massive buying from the Federal Reserve, Amherst Securities said on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as economic data and the renomination of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke reassured investors and offset concerns about red ink in the federal budget.

Toronto's main stock index finished the session higher on Tuesday on strength in financial shares after Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) kicked off quarterly earnings results for Canada's big banks with a surprisingly strong performance.

Cash crude differentials weakened sharply Tuesday on the last day of dealing for September cargoes, as traders scrambled to unload grades. Mars sour MRS- dealt for $3.00 a barrel below West Texas Intermediate CLc1, down from -$2.00 on Monday. Light Louisiana Sweet LLS- traded for $2.00 a barrel above WTI, down from as much as +$2.90.

More than half the employers in a new poll say they plan to hire full-time employees in the next 12 months, according to research released on Tuesday that could spell relief for unemployed U.S. workers.

U.S. copper futures ended down on Tuesday as a bout of investor profit-taking dragged prices lower despite a double dose of economic data that provided further evidence the world's largest economy was emerging from recession.

U.S. regulators are set to buttress their defenses this week against a slew of sick banks still facing closure and the risks to the dwindling fund that protects depositors.

The United States needs to have a climate change law in place before international talks on a climate pact begin in December, two top Obama administration officials said on Monday.

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday it has awarded $27.6 million of funding to evaluate the potential risks of storing carbon dioxide underground, which is seen as a way to control global warming.

* Women should limit extra sugar calories to 100 per day * Men should eat no more than 150 extra sugar calories * Soft drinks No. 1 source of added sugar in U.S. dietAmericans need to cut back dramatically on sugar consumption, the American Heart Association said on Monday in a recommendation that is likely to rile food and beverage companies.

The Obama administration will not get involved in General Motors Corp.'s choice of a buyer for its Opel operations in Europe, an administration official said on Monday.

Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) plans to develop an electric car to debut in the U.S. market by around 2015 as tighter environmental regulations push demand for zero-emission vehicles, the Nikkei newspaper said on Saturday.

The U.S. military has begun to share with the International Committee of the Red Cross the identities of militants held in secret camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, The New York Times reported on on Saturday.

Upbeat manufacturing data and weak labor market numbers painted a mixed picture of the U.S. economy on Thursday, while economists forecast it is recovering more robustly than expected from its worst recession in 70 years despite worries about a double-dip recession.

Ahead of the new Playstation 3 release , Amazon has warned of shortages of the new slim PlayStation 3 when the system launches next month.

Oil was steady above $72 a barrel on Thursday, after rising more than 4 percent the previous day, buoyed by industry data showing a steep drop in crude imports and stockpiles in top consumer the United States.

U.S. gold futures rose toward $950 an ounce Wednesday on the back of an oil rally and weaker dollar, even as an industry report showed that gold jewelry demand fell hard amid a global recession.

Switzerland will hand over details of about 4,450 UBS AG bank accounts to U.S. authorities, settling a tax dispute that has threatened Swiss banking secrecy, the two governments said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Justice Department revealed on Monday more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers have been stolen.

Latin American stocks and currencies posted losses on Friday after U.S. consumer sentiment weakened unexpectedly in August, raising questions about the strength of the economic recovery and increasing global aversion to risk.