UNITED STATES

U.S. airlines are slowly ratcheting up their bag-check fees, like US Airways Group did on Wednesday, but analysts warn that carriers risk alienating their customers with excessive fees.

Southern California Edison said on Wednesday it is seeking a U.S. grant to store wind power in the largest-ever grid storage battery, to be built by A123 Systems.

Rock icon Bob Dylan will sing the old yuletide standards

A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a complaint by Refco Inc's bankruptcy trustee to recover more than $500 million for creditors of the defunct futures and commodities broker from its legal and accounting advisers.

New U.S. home sales hit their highest level in 10 months in July and orders for long-lasting manufactured goods surged, fresh evidence a modest economic recovery was taking shape.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Wednesday as investors were cautious about making big bets after a rally this week, overshadowing solid data on durable goods and home sales.

The U.S. economy is in the early stages of recovery but it will be a while before growth starts to bring down unemployment, a top Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday.

Hurricane season officially started on June 1, and the Federal Government, led by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, is prepared to respond alongside the private sector should a hurricane affect the energy infrastructure of the United States.

President Barack Obama released a statement on Wednesday after the death of Senate Edward Kennedy, expressing his condolences to all the family members.

The German government signaled on Wednesday talks between Berlin and General Motors over the fate of its European unit Opel are threatening to drag on, raising the prospect of weeks more of negotiation.

Colombian rock star Juanes says a public concert he plans in Cuba next month could help further thaw U.S.-Cuban ties despite outcry from some Cuban exiles who accuse him of pandering to the island's communist rulers.

Pop star Michael Jackson died from a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol given in a cocktail of drugs, leading authorities to suspect his doctor of manslaughter, court documents showed on Monday.

U.S. regulators have been negotiating until the last minute on highly anticipated guidelines for private equity investments in distressed banks.

Oil fell to near $71 a barrel on Wednesday, extending hefty losses from the previous session, as rising stockpiles of U.S. crude outweighed positive economic data.

U.S. stocks seesawed on Wednesday despite strong data on new home sales and durable goods orders as investors paused after a recent sharp run-up.

U.S. regulators have been negotiating until the last minute on highly anticipated guidelines for private equity investments in distressed banks.

Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher said on Wednesday the U.S. economy is poised for a slow, sluggish recovery as it emerges from a painful recession.

U.S. stocks seesawed on Wednesday despite strong data on new home sales and durable goods orders as investors paused after a recent sharp run-up.

Sales of newly built U.S. single-family homes rose in July to their fastest pace in 10 months, while orders for long-lasting manufactured goods surged, hinting a modest economic recovery was taking shape.

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy died of brain cancer at age 77, which was diagnosed in May 2008, his family said in a statement early on Wednesday.

The U.S. Energy Department will award $300 million to a clean cities program to help communities buy alternative fuel vehicles, Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Wednesday.