BARACK OBAMA

Israel declined comment on Tuesday on a report of new U.S. demands it curb settlement round Jerusalem, but it reaffirmed its determination to go on building on occupied West Bank land that it has annexed to the city.

Chinese President Hu Jintao hailed U.S. President Barack Obama's recognition of sovereignty issues dear to China, after a bilateral meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday he was confident the alliance would substantially increase its forces battling Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

Chinese and U.S. regulators are negotiating a pact aimed at encouraging Chinese financial institutions to buy into small and medium-sized banks in the United States, bankers briefed on the plan said on Tuesday.

China and the United States agree Iran must show its nuclear program is peaceful and transparent, President Barack Obama said on Tuesday, but Chinese President Hu Jintao was more guarded on the dispute at a summit in Beijing.

U.S. President Barack Obama will hold a forum on job creation with U.S. business leaders on December 3 and then embark on a cross-country tour to discuss economic recovery, the White House said on Monday.

Climate talks host Denmark said on Tuesday it expected Washington to pledge deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to help rescue a deal at a December summit even though a full U.N. treaty is out of reach.

More than 49 million Americans -- one in seven -- struggled to get enough to eat in 2008, the highest total in 14 years of a federal survey on food insecurity, the U.S. government said Monday.

The dollar rebounded on Tuesday from Monday's 15-month lows after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke made rare comments about the dollar, encouraging traders to trim longer-term bets against the currency.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged a reluctant China to let its yuan currency rise in value at a summit where strains over trade between the two giants crept into proclamations of goodwill.

The imperative of greater global currency stability means the world can no longer rely, as it has done since the end of the gold standard, on a currency issued by a single country, the head of the IMF said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday nudged Chinese President Hu Jintao to allow the yuan currency to appreciate at a landmark summit in Beijing.

The imperative of greater global currency stability means the world can no longer rely, as it has done since the end of the gold standard, on a currency issued by a single country, the head of the IMF said on Tuesday.

Asian shares, gold and oil eased on Tuesday as investors locked in recent gains while keeping an eye on the ailing dollar, which was pinned near 15-month lows on expectations that U.S. interest rates will stay extremely low for some time.

Asian stocks surrendered early gains on Tuesday as investors took profits from recent gains, while the dollar was pinned near 15-month lows after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke repeated the central bank was likely to keep interest rates at very low levels for some time.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Tuesday that he had agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama to increase international cooperation, after frank, constructive and fruitful talks in Beijing.

Asian stocks surrendered early gains on Tuesday as investors took profits from recent gains, while the dollar was pinned near 15-month lows after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke repeated the central bank was likely to keep interest rates at very low levels for some time.

Asian stocks rose to more than 15-month highs on Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke repeated the central bank was likely to keep interest rates at very low levels for some time, keeping the dollar pinned near 15-month lows and gold close to record highs.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in a rare comment on the U.S. dollar's value, on Monday acknowledged the currency's slump was causing some prices to rise, but said other factors restraining inflation were winning the day.

Sarah Palin said a run for the White House in 2012 is not on my radar screen right now as the Republican carefully did not close the door to a possible candidacy in an interview that launched her big book tour.

European carbon emissions futures rose slightly on Monday, unaffected by confirmation from world leaders that a legally binding climate pact will be delayed until 2010 or later.