BARACK OBAMA

Large banks will likely pare back their private equity-related operations in anticipation of the so-called Volcker rule, despite it being unclear if it will be adopted, the co-founder of Carlyle Group said on Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc , which held down executive pay last year, has no magic formula for setting compensation in 2010, Chief Financial Officer David Viniar said on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama said he doesn't begrudge the chief executives of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs their bonuses but called their pay extraordinary.

President Barack Obama found common ground with Republicans on Tuesday over his top priorities of job creation and deficit reduction but drew a rebuke on healthcare reform.

Iran believes a nuclear fuel exchange with the West is still possible, state television said on Wednesday, a day after the Islamic Republic's expansion of uranium enrichment drew a U.S. warning of more sanctions soon.

Iran has arrested several people who were preparing to disrupt rallies on February 11 marking the 1979 Islamic revolution, police said on Wednesday, in a clear warning to opposition supporters planning new protests.

Senior Chinese military officers have proposed that their country boost defense spending, adjust PLA deployments, and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

President Barack Obama sought common ground with Republicans on Tuesday over his top priorities of job creation and deficit reduction, winning hints of support in both areas but a rebuke on healthcare reform.

The heads of the top U.S. stock exchanges have poured cold water on the Obama administration's plan to bar banks from proprietary trading.

President Barack Obama sought common ground with Republicans on Tuesday on his top policy priorities of job creation and deficit reduction, winning hints of support in both areas but a rebuke on healthcare reform.

President Barack Obama convened a meeting of Top Republican and Democratic leaders on Tuesday in the White House and called on the two parties to focus on creating jobs and cooperating on battled economy.

President Barack Obama, reaching out to lawmakers in both U.S. political parties, said on Tuesday he hoped Congress would soon deliver a package of measures to boost U.S. employment and economic growth.

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he hoped Congress would soon deliver a package of measures to boost U.S. employment and growth.

Senior Chinese military officers have proposed that their country boost defence spending, adjust PLA deployments, and possibly sell some U.S. bonds to punish Washington for its latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Tuesday to support an initiative to fight childhood obesity shaped by First Lady Michelle Obama.

President Barack Obama's vow to get tougher on countries such as China that undervalue their currencies has heightened attention on whether the Treasury Department will formally label China as a currency manipulator in a semi-annual report due in April.

Obama asked Republicans to bring their best ideas for overhauling the U.S. healthcare system to the February 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month.

Sarah Palin was in the spotlight on Monday for reading crib notes written on the palm of her left hand during an interview at the Tea Party convention in Nashville.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin said in an interview aired on Fox News Sunday, that she would run for President in 2012 if she believed that was the right thing to do for the U.S. and for the Palin family.

With his legislative agenda in limbo, Obama sought to rally Democratic activists still reeling from the loss of a pivotal Senate seat last month and now scrambling to head off a Republican challenge in the November congressional elections.

President Barack Obama said on Sunday he will hold a meeting with Democratic and Republican lawmakers to discuss ways to move forward on legislation to overhaul the healthcare system.