BARACK OBAMA

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that corporations can spend freely to support or oppose for presidential and congressional elections.

Corporations can spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in a landmark decision that allows massive sums to be spent to influence future elections.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday she did not think the Senate's version of healthcare reform had enough support to pass the House of Representatives without changes.

President Barack Obama proposed stricter limits on financial institutions' risk-taking on Thursday in a new populist-tinged move that sent bank shares tumbling and aimed to shore up the president's political base.

The Dow Jones Industrial average was down nearly 2 percent on Wednesday as commodities and financial stocks fell following President Barack Obama's announcement that he would seek further curb big banks.

Wall Street tumbled on Thursday after President Barack Obama proposed rules aimed at making the financial system safer by preventing the biggest banks from taking excessive risks.

President Barack Obama proposed stricter limits on financial risk-taking on Thursday in a new populist-tinged move that sent bank shares lower and aimed to shore up his own political base.

U.S. stocks fell 1 percent on Thursday on uncertainty about the impact of proposed restrictions expected from the Obama administration on big banks.

Pakistan ruled out any new offensive against militants Thursday, even as U.S. defence chief Robert Gates began meetings aimed at persuading the country to expand its military campaign to take on Afghanistan's Taliban.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc , which had been on track to pay employees a near-record amount, instead set aside nothing for compensation in the fourth quarter and gave $500 million to charity.

The Dow and S&P 500 fell on Thursday as fears any proposed new restrictions by the Obama administration on big banks would cut profits at large trading firms like Goldman Sachs Group.

President Barack Obama will propose stricter limits on financial risk-taking on Thursday in his latest populist-tinged move to crack down on banks and address the roots of the financial crisis.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc , which had been on track to pay employees a near-record amount, instead set aside nothing for compensation in the fourth quarter and gave $500 million to charity.

U.S. stock index futures rose on Thursday ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs Group

Stock index futures rose on Thursday ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs Group , which leads another round of earnings reports, and data on the labor market and a leading economic index.

President Barack Obama, reeling from an election defeat in the Senate, will propose stricter limits on financial risk-taking on Thursday in a move that may recall Depression-era curbs on banks.

Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Thursday, ahead of a slew of earnings news, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.04 percent, the Dow Jones industrial average 0.1 percent lower and the Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.2 percent.

Democratic congressional leaders promised on Wednesday to push ahead with healthcare reform despite a stinging setback in a Senate election, but failed to agree quickly on a new approach.

The loss of a key Democratic Senate seat will likely strengthen the resolve of President Barack Obama to press ahead urgently with a package of targeted proposals to spur U.S. job creation.

When Google threw down the gauntlet to China's Internet censors, it also challenged the loyalties of the nation's wired generation.

U.S. housing starts unexpectedly fell last month as unusually cold weather hampered construction, but a jump in building permits to a 14-month high indicated the housing market recovery was intact.