BARACK OBAMA

There were no bids by younger Palestinian leaders on Friday to step into the shoes of President Mahmoud Abbas, who says he does not want to run for re-election in January.

With a close vote looming in the House of Representatives, President Barack Obama's push for healthcare reform was boosted on Thursday by the support of powerful lobbies representing doctors and seniors.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday urged President Barack Obama to commit enough troops to win the war in Afghanistan, warning hesitation would embolden U.S. foes and devastate its allies.

China denounced as protectionist new U.S. anti-dumping duties on steel pipes and launched its own investigation into imports of U.S.-made automobiles on Friday, a week before a visit by President Barack Obama.

The death toll from an Army psychiatrist who opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post rose to 13 on Friday, and Army officials said the suspected shooter was hospitalized and on a ventilator.

European Union carbon emissions futures wilted slightly on Friday but were largely unaffected by news that a U.N. climate pact will likely be delayed into 2010, traders said.

China urged more contact with the U.S. military on Friday while President Hu Jintao said his nation's plans for space were peaceful, striking a conciliatory tone ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit.

Russia accused General Motors of showing the United States' scorn of business with Europe by abandoning its sale of Opel, whose German workers went on strike on Thursday.

General Motors Co on Thursday said it was readying a plan to restructure Opel and could pay off debt due this month as German workers went on strike to protest the automakers decision to keep the European unit.

Fannie Mae, the largest provider of funding for U.S. home loans, said on Thursday bad mortgages and a federal foreclosure prevention program left it with a $18.9 billion loss, forcing it to tap the Treasury again to plug a hole in its net worth.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he did not wish to run for re-election in January, voicing disappointment at Washington for favoring Israel in arguments over re-launching peace talks.

The U.S. Congress approved more aid for jobless workers and broadened tax breaks for homebuyers and businesses on Thursday and sent the measure to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

With a close vote looming in the U.S. House of Representatives, President Barack Obama's push for healthcare reform was boosted Thursday by the support of powerful lobbies representing doctors and seniors.

Although U.S. President Barack Obama has never set foot there, China cast a long shadow in the Pacific region where he grew up.

A U.S. diplomat said on Thursday that Washington was fully committed to its alliance with Japan, as the two governments prepared for a visit by President Barack Obama that has been clouded by a feud over a U.S. Marine base.

President Barack Obama told Native American leaders on Thursday, You will not be forgotten and promised to end U.S. government neglect and broken promises toward Indian tribes.

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives hustled on Thursday to count votes and round up support for a sweeping healthcare overhaul that was headed to a close floor vote on Saturday.

A controversial climate change bill cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, allowing President Barack Obama to tout progress in the run-up to next month's global warming talks in Copenhagen.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama to coordinate on the future of Opel after General Motors'surprise decision to keep the unit, a German government spokesman said on Thursday.

Democrats in the House of Representatives scrambled on Wednesday to iron out lingering concerns over abortion in a healthcare reform bill that was headed to a close and potentially historic weekend debate.

The United Nations said on Thursday it would evacuate hundreds of its international staff from Afghanistan for several weeks due to deteriorating security, a sharp blow for Western efforts to stabilize the country.