BARACK OBAMA

President Barack Obama on Monday urged Chinese President Hu Jintao to join the United States in denouncing North Korea's latest deadly military skirmish with South Korea and the North's pursuit of nuclear development. it marked the first time the leaders have spoken since a November 22 incident left four South Korean soldiers dead.

During the negotiations (with the U.S.), I did not think of Yeonpyeong Island or the USS George Washington. I have just mulled over the benefits and losses in terms of trade, South Korean trade minister Kim Jong-hoon said, apparently to refute criticism that Seoul gave away ground to the U.S. in the aftermath of the geopolitical crisis precipitated by last week’s shelling by North Korea on South’s islands.

President Nicolas Sarkozy urged India on Saturday to support France's agenda of reforming the global monetary system during its presidency of the G20 and hinted a nuclear deal could be signed on his trip.

A framework for a possible deal between the White House and congressional leaders to extend expiring tax cuts for millions of Americans is slowly being put together behind closed doors, aides said on Friday.

U.S. and South Korean negotiators reported progress on their pursuit of a free trade deal on Friday, including an agreement regarding autos.

The presidentially appointed commission on the national debt failed today to approve its own plan for tackling the nation’s long-term fiscal problems, but several members called it a victory nonetheless.

U.S. employment barely grew in November and the jobless rate unexpectedly hit a seven-month high, hardening views the Federal Reserve would stick to its $600 billion plan to shore up the anemic recovery.

A bold plan to slash the U.S. budget deficit fell short on Friday of winning support needed from a presidential commission to trigger congressional action, but it was expected to help shape future budget debates.

A bold plan to slash the U.S. budget deficit fell short on Friday of winning support needed from a presidential commission to trigger congressional action, but it was expected to help shape future budget debates.

FIFA takes the Football World Cup 2018 and 2022 to new territories of Russia and Qatar, raising concerns over risks involved in the selection of venue.

U.S. employment barely grew in November and the jobless rate unexpectedly hit a seven-month high, hardening views the Federal Reserve would stick to its $600 billion plan to shore up the fragile recovery.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has adopted cloud-first policy as part of its IT strategy for government agencies.

U.S. employment increased far less than expected in November and the jobless rate jumped to a seven-month high of 9.8 percent, dampening hopes for a self-sustaining economic recovery.

Congress on Thursday extended soon-to-expire funding for the federal government for another two weeks, giving Democrats time to craft a more lasting solution.

The U.S. economy probably recorded a second month of solid job gains in November, which would bolster views the labor market is improving even though the activity is not enough yet to lower the unemployment rate.

The incoming head of a House of Representatives panel overseeing the Obama White House on Thursday called for pulling the plug on a widely criticized program to help struggling borrowers stay in their homes.

The Senate will vote on two Democratic options to extend some Bush-era tax cuts on Saturday, its Democratic leader said, measures likely to fail but highlight deep ideological divisions between the parties.

The FIFA World Cup, the biggest tournament in soccer, will be headed to new regions as Russia won the 2018 bid on Thursday over rivals which included England and tiny emirate Qatar beat a group including the United States for the 2022 tournament.

While negotiators for both political parties worked behind the scenes to hammer out a deal on extending the Bush-era tax cuts and, possibly, unemployment insurance, House Democrats pushed through a measure that would extend the tax cuts for individuals making less than $200,000 and married couples making less than $250,000.

The House of Representatives, in the waning days of Democratic control, passed an extension on Thursday of Bush-era tax cuts for the lower and middle classes in a symbolic vote that would let tax cuts for the wealthiest expire.

The top Republican lawmaker on a key U.S. military oversight committee, while leaving open the possibility of eventually dropping his opposition to the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian soldiers, said doing so at this time would be premature.