BARACK OBAMA

Most U.S. business economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates within six months by between a quarter and a half percentage point, according to a survey released on Monday.

Most U.S. business economists expect the Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates within six months by between a quarter and a half percentage point, according to a survey released on Monday.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Greece Sunday that euro zone countries would help it overcome its financial problems and vowed a European crackdown on financial speculators Athens blames for its woes.

China has pledged to punish hackers who attacked Google if there is evidence to prove it, but said it has yet to receive any complaint from the world's top search engine.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Sunday that relations with the United States had been seriously disrupted, after a rise in friction between the two big powers.

Iraqis vote on Sunday in a parliamentary election that will help to determine whether their shaky democracy can end sectarian conflict and defeat insurgents who are trying to plunge Iraq back into broader bloodshed.

Commercial banks will come to resemble hedge funds over time unless new rules are introduced setting limits on proprietary trading, White House economic adviser Paul Volcker said on Saturday.

President Barack Obama said on Friday a forthcoming review of the U.S. nuclear posture would reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons in Washington's national security strategy.

Dozens of people were injured in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank Friday, as tension over land and holy sites mounted ahead of a relaunch of U.S.-mediated peace negotiations.

Senator Christopher Dodd, chief negotiator for the Democrats in Senate talks on financial regulation reform, said on Friday he was uncertain whether bipartisan support for a compromise bill could be achieved.

U.S. employers cut fewer jobs than expected during snow-battered February and the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent, bolstering views the economy was on the brink of creating jobs.

(Reuters) - The White House ratcheted up its push for a quick healthcare vote in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, criticizing rising health insurance premiums at a meeting with top industry executives and wooing key lawmakers.

Senator Christopher Dodd, chief negotiator for the Democrats in talks on a bipartisan financial reform bill in the U.S. Senate, on Friday said lawmakers are not there yet on reaching an agreement but said he hopes one will be reached within days.

U.S. employers cut a smaller than expected 36,000 jobs in February, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 9.7 percent, bolstering views the labor market was on the brink of creating jobs.

U.S. employers cut a smaller than expected 36,000 jobs in February, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 9.7 percent, according to a government report on Friday which said it was unclear how severe weather had impacted payrolls.

The number of people working in the United States likely fell in February as winter storms that pounded parts of the country kept some workers at home but a swift recovery is expected in March.

The number of people working in the United States likely fell in February as winter storms that pounded parts of the country kept some workers at home but a swift recovery is expected in March.

China is in consultations with technology giant Google to resolve its dispute with the company, which has threatened to abandon the Chinese market over hacking and censorship concerns, said a Chinese official on Friday.

The Obama administration has opposed a vote of a resolution that would recognize the 1915 mass killing of Armenians as genocide, contradicting a promise President Barack Obama made while campaigning in the Democratic primaries.

The number of U.S. workers filing for jobless benefits fell last week, but a surprise drop in pending home sales to a 10-month low in January underscored the uneven nature of the economic recovery.

Congressional Democrats made headway on Thursday on their top legislative priority -- job creation -- when the House of Representatives approved a $15 billion package of tax credits and highway construction.