The net worth of the richest Americans grew by 13% in the past year to $1.7 trillion (€1.3tn), Forbes magazine said, and a familiar cast populated the top of the annual list, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Larry Ellison and the Koch brothers.

Democrats launched co-ordinated attacks against Mitt Romney, intensifying calls for him to explain his offshore bank accounts and release several years of tax returns.

President Barack Obama’s re-election team plans to spend $25m (€19.15m) on advertising this month, a dramatic escalation of its media presence in a handful of states that could determine the outcome on Nov 6.

Hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters held a “Millionaires March” past the homes of some of the wealthiest executives in America, stopping to jeer “Tax the rich!” and “Where’s my bailout?”

THE Occupy Wall Street movement in the US has been heating up again — resulting in about 50 arrests in Boston and plans for a Manhattan “Millionaires March” to the homes of some of New York city’s wealthiest residents.

A BILLION dollars is no longer enough to secure a place on Forbes’ rich list of Americans, the business magazine said yesterday.

Actor Heath Ledger has apologised to the presenters of Australian TV show Sunrise after he ignored reporters' questions and focused on peeling an orange during an interview.