WORLD

Europe's financial system is a mess right now compared to the US financial system. However, it doesn't have to be this way, according to hedge fund heavyweight David Tepper.

The biggest question regarding the highly controversial program of QE2 remains this: did it work? Of course it worked, answered David Tepper, the billionaire hedge fund manager of Appaloosa Management.

Osama bin Laden warned France on Friday that the country should leave Afghanistan if it wanted to see its captive nationals alive, in a televised audio-recording.

The Obama administration is forging ahead with its plans to bolster alternative energy sources in the U.S., advancing a loan of $967 million to help build the world’s largest photovoltaic solar generating plant.

Jeffrey Immelt’s appointment by President Obama to head his new White House economic council has some labor leaders concerned, given the perception that the boss of General Electric (NYSE: GE) is hostile to the union movement and is committed to outsourcing American jobs to foreign (cheaper) workers.

Job losses and fear about what lies ahead persists on Main Street America, despite official pronouncements that the 'Great Recession' ended over a year ago, the head of a U.S. mayors group said this week. The group was in Washington to lobby President Obama and federal officials for billions of dollars in grants and investments.

American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, famously characterized the feat as, One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

As the battle over pension reform in cash-starved cities and states intensified, the Mayor of New York City fired another salvo by threatening municipal unions with huge layoffs if they don’t cooperate with his sweeping proposals to overhaul the system.

Washington policymakers are seeking to make it easier for states to declare bankruptcy and escape the burdensome debt that they labor under, often exacerbated by generous pensions paid out to retired public employees.

Chinese President Hu Jintao took his roadshow to the U.S. Midwest, where executives from the two countries were set to sign up to 60 deals on Friday to underscore the message that China is open for business.

Rutherford B. Hayes is running for President of the United States in 2012. So is Jeff Davis, Robert Lee of Virginia, and Jonathon “the Impaler” Sharkey.

Iran gave no sign of making concessions to world powers bent on coaxing it to curb its nuclear programme at talks on Friday, saying it would not discuss suspending sensitive uranium enrichment.

Chinese President Hu Jintao took his political roadshow to the U.S. heartland on Friday, visiting Chicago to highlight business and cultural ties between the world's two largest economies.

Anti-government protesters took to the streets on Friday as Tunisia began three days of mourning for the dozens of people killed during the overthrow of president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Government troops have executed civilians and conducted ethnic cleansing in Ethiopia's Somali Region, a rebel group said on Friday.

EU sanctions aiming to squeeze Ivory Coast incumbent Laurent Gbagbo's access to funding could hurt the nation's 40,000-barrel-per-day oil sector and may shut down its 80,000 bpd refinery within months, according to the head of the state oil firm.

China reiterated its commitment to a more flexible yuan and stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights during President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington, a top Treasury official said on Friday.

While states and cities across the country are slashing spending in an effort to tackle mountainous budget deficits, at least one major American city can brag of a budget surplus.

China's growth accelerated in the fourth quarter and its inflation slowed less than expected, fuelling concerns that harsher policy tightening is needed to keep the galloping economy on an even keel.

The U.S. national debt is growing fast and will require massive tax hikes if Congress doesn't act to cut federal spending, Republican lawmakers warned on Thursday.

The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, supporting her fight for democracy.

Jeffery Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric (NYSE: GR) will head a new advisory panel formed by President Barack Obama designed to promote economic growth in the country.

Australians may be hit with a one-time “flood tax” to help pay for the damages wrought by the devastating floods in Queensland and Victoria.

US President Barack Obama will run his re-election campaign based out of Chicago even as his close aide laid to rest media speculations about Obama seeking a re-election in 2012.

British government plans to introduce new rules this April to cap visas for less skilled workers from non-European countries to cut the number of immigrants from outside Europe.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit is expected to benefit 9.4 million college students in the country in 2011

The Ministry of Land and Resources of China on Wednesday has brought 11 rare earth mines under states control, in order to improve the protection, utilization of the country's strategic resources and drive up prices of the element in global markets.

Chinese President Hu Jintao got an earful of U.S. lawmakers criticism on North Korea and human rights on Thursday, but tried to assure the United States that China's military and trade policies were not a threat.

The United States warned China that if it didn't rein in its ally North Korea it would redeploy forces in Asia, the New York Times reported on Friday, as Pyongyang bowed to pressure and agreed to crisis talks.