UNITED STATES

Fallout from the euro zone debt crisis and U.S. fiscal problems mean developed economies are more likely to contract than recover in coming months, economist Nouriel Roubini said on Wednesday.

Gold fell on Wednesday as investors booked profits on the metal's rally earlier in the day ahead of the outcome of a Federal Reserve policy meeting that many hope will confirm the central bank's strategy to kick-start U.S. growth.

Google Inc is confident that U.S. antitrust regulators will clear the search giant of any wrongdoing, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will tell a congressional panel on Wednesday.

General Mills Inc reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, as price increases helped it contend with the much higher ingredient and fuel costs that ate into its margins.

Typhoon Roke is currently pounding central Japan, causing massive blackouts, flooding and at least three deaths.

Conservatives and Tea Party groups have found themselves in the unlikely position of agreeing with liberals on immigration as they rally against a bill that would impose mandatory background checks to ensure new hires are eligible to work in the United States.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday looks set to launch a fresh effort to invigorate the faltering economic recovery, embarking on what could be the first in a series of incremental steps to foster stronger growth.

Stocks drifted lower on Wednesday as investors were reluctant to place bets ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve announcement that is expected to present some action to speed up a lagging recovery.

President Barack Obama will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday to urge him to drop plans to ask the U.N. Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state despite U.S. and Israeli objections.

Wall Street was set to open little changed on Wednesday as investors cautiously awaited the outcome from the Federal Reserve's policy-setting meeting that is likely to include new measures to boost the economy.

An 18-year study of a deep-sea squid or Octopoteuthis deletron, a 5-inch long tentacled creature that dwells a depth of 400 to 800m, found that males attempt to mate with any deep sea squid it comes across, whether its a male or female.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, President Barack Obama said the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own, but this goal can only be achieved via direct talks with Israel.

Netflix Inc and Discovery Communications Inc have reached an agreement to bring episodes of popular TV adventure shows including Man vs. Wild and River Monsters to the streaming service, according to people close to the deal.

Saudi Arabian bloggers and journalists say the arch-conservative Islamic kingdom will find it hard to douse glimmers of more open reporting despite a tightening of media rules after the spread of popular revolts through the Arab world.

A baby was born 30,000 feet in the air after a woman gives birth aboard a San Francisco bound flight from the Philippines.

More U.S. women are drinking booze and becoming alcoholics, according to a study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. About one-fifth of women have at least three drinks per day, versus a figure of about 42 percent for men.

While the high U.S. unemployment rate is an ongoing challenge for many people, Illinois-based Aspiritech, a nonprofit, seeks a particular group of adults to test a new software -- those with Autism.

Tropical Storm Ophelia formed in the tropical Atlantic and is on a projected path toward the northern Leeward Islands.

Apple will hold a media event on Oct. 4 when the company will unveil its new, much-anticipated iPhone 5, according to reports. The release, likely adding Sprint as a sales partner, could deliver a crushing blow to the sinking and manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM).

Silver broke from the other precious metals Wednesday, posting gains amid a general downdraft that pulled down the euro and European stocks.

Solyndra executives will invoke their Fifth Amendment rights Friday when they refuse to answer questions at a Congressional hearing investigating allegations of improper dealings between the failed solar company and the White House.