Toyota has agreed to pay a record $16.4m (€12.17) fine for failing to properly notify federal authorities about a dangerous pedal defect, the US government said today.

Nasa and the National Academy of Sciences are joining the US government’s effort to find out what caused the sudden acceleration problems that led to car giant Toyota’s massive recalls.

Toyota took full-page ads in major Japanese newspapers today to apologise for massive recalls and began fixing braking faults on two problem hybrid models as pressure mounted on the car maker to come clean over defects.

Toyota was preparing today to announce plans to deal with braking problems in its prized Prius hybrid amid reports it had decided to issue a recall for the vehicle in Japan.

Crisis-hit Toyota faced fresh doubts about braking problems in its prized Prius today, with complaints ballooning to about 180 in the US and Japan.

Car giant Toyota has been hit by more than 100 complaints in the US and Japan about brake problems with its flagship Prius hybrid, it emerged today, in a new blow as it grapples with massive global recalls.

America is to ban truck and bus drivers from texting as it tries to catch up with much of the developed world in mobile phone road safety.

Blocked toilets, crying babies and airless cabins make air travellers furious – and the US government says they don’t have to take it any more.

US President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen to support the bid by the city of Chicago to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

US President Barack Obama named a Republican congressman today to be the next Secretary of the Army, bringing another member of the opposition into his administration.

Barack Obama is laying the groundwork for a giant economic stimulus package of up to $850bn (€590bn) over two years, an adviser to the US President-elect said.

PRIOR to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the CIA failed to act on intelligence it had about hijackers, the FBI was unable to track al-Qaida in the United States, and key National Security Agency communications intercepts never were circulated, an American congressional investigation has concluded.