With Mitt Romney now all but assured of winning the Republican nomination, he embarks on one of his critical quests of the campaign: finding a running mate who can help him defeat President Barack Obama.

Opposition Republicans scored the first gains in US elections as they looked to end Democratic control of Congress and deliver a stinging blow to Barack Obama's presidency.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s campaign has asked for the personal documents of a potential running mate, it was reported today.

REPUBLICAN presidential candidate John McCain has a big decision ahead of him — picking a vice presidential running mate whose presence on the ticket would reassure Americans concerned about McCain’s age.

Free talks between the United States and the United Arab Emirates were postponed today, a day after a Dubai company succumbed to pressure and backed out of a deal to take over operations at six major American ports.

World trade talks reached an apparent breakthrough on the most contentious issue of the six-day session today, with an agreement that wealthy countries would eliminate farm export subsidies by 2013.

Trade negotiators failed to tackle the toughest issues in a draft agreement circulated at world trade talks today, showing that only modest progress was being made as the meeting entered its final hours.

Global trade talks remained deadlocked in Hong Kong today after leading delegates meeting late into the night failed to reach agreement on setting a date for ending export subsidies on farm goods – again blaming European countries for blocking progress.

A bloc of agricultural nations that favours free trade has accused the European Union of holding the current round of world trade talks hostage.

The European Union has offered to reduce average agricultural tariffs by 46%, its steepest ever farm tariff cuts, in a proposal aimed at breaking a deadlock in world trade talks.

Efforts to liberalise world trade are stalling because of EU intransigence over reforming its farm aid, ministers said today as they wrapped up a fruitless week of meetings in Geneva.

The European Union’s top trade negotiator won overwhelming support from EU governments today to stay the course in world trade talks, and he urged member nations not to lose their nerve.

New offers from the US and European Union to cut aid to their farmers could herald a breakthrough in deadlocked global trade talks, just two months before a deadline for a framework treaty, ministers said.

With just two months remaining before a deadline for a framework global trade treaty, ministers from the largest trade powers will gather today to tackle once more the thorny issue of US and EU farm subsidies.

Ministers from the largest trade powers gather in Switzerland tomorrow to tackle once more the thorny issue of US and EU farm subsidies, with just two months remaining before a deadline for a framework global trade treaty.

Europe and the US moved closer to a world trade showdown over plane subsidies, as Airbus said it had received “legally binding” government funding pledges for its newly-launched A350 jet programme.

The Bush administration says it has successfully completed negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the country’s application to join the World Trade Organisation.

Pascal Lamy stepped into office as the new head of the World Trade Organisation, pledging to re-energise negotiations ahead of the crucial global trade summit in Hong Kong just three months away.

The Bush administration said today it would bring a trade case alleging the European Unionis providing illegal subsidies to Airbus, the major competitor to US-based Boeing Co.

China today asked Washington to stop an effort by US lawmakers to establish a military training programme for rival Taiwan.