BARACK OBAMA

President Barack Obama, normally a surefooted salesman, is struggling to convince Americans that the $1 trillion U.S. healthcare system overhaul he is pushing would be good for them.

Shrugging off delays in a divided Congress, President Barack Obama's administration on Friday said a sweeping healthcare overhaul would still be approved by year end to control costs and expand coverage.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game on Thursday by retiring all 27 batters he faced in a 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

President Barack Obama said police “acted stupidly” when the arrested black Harvard scholar outside his own home.

President Barack Obama conceded on Thursday that Congress will not meet his August deadline for passing healthcare reform bills, but said he wanted lawmakers to keep on working on the issue.

President Barack Obama plunged his presidency into a charged racial debate and set off a firestorm in one of America's most liberal bastions by siding with a black Harvard scholar who accuses police of racism.

President Barack Obama's drive for healthcare reform suffered a setback on Thursday when Senate leaders said they would not be able to pass the measure before leaving for a monthlong August recess.

A prominent black Harvard scholar arrested last week has triggered escalating national debates over racism.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday Israel hoped to forge peace with the Palestinians, but sidestepped a controversy over Jewish settlement that has stalled a resumption of negotiations.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday police had acted stupidly in arresting a prominent black Harvard University scholar at his own home, weighing in on escalating debate over the treatment of minorities by U.S. law enforcement officers.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Thursday announced that sales of existing homes in the U.S. rose for the third consecutive month in June, suggesting that the troubled housing market may be hitting bottom, private data showed Thursday. According to the NAR, existing home sales rose to an annualized rate of 4.89 million units which is above the 4.84 million units analysts were expecting. This is fueling hopes that housing and the overall economy is showing signs of recovery.

President Barack Obama pressed his case for an overhaul of the U.S. healthcare on Wednesday in a nationally televised news conference. He also addressed concerns about the economy. Here are some quotes from the news conference:

President Barack Obama used economic arguments on Wednesday to pitch healthcare reform to middle-class Americans but offered few new ideas to galvanize action from either skittish Democrats or a divided Congress.

President Barack Obama's drive to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system faces uncertain prospects as lawmakers struggle to find agreement on cutting costs and funding the $1 trillion program. The outcome is at a critical juncture in the U.S. Congress. Here are some possible scenarios involving shortfalls in reaching his goals as planned:

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday a broad healthcare overhaul was critical to a U.S. economic recovery and urged Congress to take advantage of momentum behind the reform package, despite doubts about the plan even among fellow Democrats.

A growing shortage of primary care doctors could place a major burden on the U.S. healthcare system if President Barack Obama succeeds in extending medical insurance to millions of Americans who currently lack it.

A plan to bring the ballooning U.S. deficit under control passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, requiring Congress to find savings to offset tax cuts or spending increases.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he realized Americans were skeptical about his healthcare overhaul, but that the country's economic recovery depended on implementing the $1 trillion plan.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday a broad healthcare overhaul was critical to an economic recovery and promised to push a reform package through Congress this year despite growing doubts about the plan, even among fellow Democrats.

The U.S. economy is no longer on the brink of disaster but recovery will be slow and the jobless rate will remain stubbornly high in coming quarters, White House Budget Director Peter Orszag said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sketched out on Wednesday how the United States might cope with a nuclear Iran -- by arming its allies in the Gulf and extending a defence umbrella over the region.