President Barack Obama assumed responsibility over the deadly terror attack in Libya last month that killed four Americans just hours after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to shoulder the blame for any mistakes the administration made.

Republicans in the House of Representatives will hold a largely symbolic vote today, demanding a balanced budget constitutional amendment as their price for raising the US debt ceiling and avoiding a catastrophic US default.

US President Barack Obama announced today that his National Security Adviser, General James Jones, is stepping down after helping to shape foreign policy for nearly two years.

US President Barack Obama today directed that no new offshore oil drilling leases can be issued unless rigs have new safeguards to prevent a repeat of the explosion that unleashed the massive spill threatening the Gulf Coast with major environmental damage.

The military psychiatrist responsible for a shooting spree that left 13 dead remained in a coma today, frustrating attempts to work out what made him kill.

Four judges have spoken out to defend awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US president Barack Obama.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama assailed North Korea for new missile tests, saying the world must “stand up to” Pyongyang and demand that it honour a promise to abandon it nuclear ambitions.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama outlined the nation’s first comprehensive effort to curb vehicle emissions while cutting dependence on imported oil, calling the plan a historic turning point toward a “clean-energy economy”.

The US will buy stocks in banks in a bid to return the nation’s economy to the “path of growth and prosperity”, president George Bush said today.

The financial turmoil is a “serious global crisis that requires a serious global response”, US president George Bush said today.

President Bush made a public appeal for trust that the US could cut through the “uncertainty and fear” of the the financial crisis today.

US president George W Bush said last night he is sceptical that Moscow is honouring a cease-fire in neighbouring Georgia, demanding that Russia end all military activities in the former Soviet republic and withdraw all its forces.

American forces were on their way to Georgia tonight after President George Bush announced a massive humanitarian aid operation and warned Russia not to stand in its way.

US PRESIDENT George W Bush lifted a White House ban on offshore drilling yesterday to try to drive down soaring energy prices, a largely symbolic move unlikely to have any short-term impact on high gasoline costs.

Barack Obama blamed fierce attacks by rival Hillary Clinton for his defeats in big Democratic primaries, and quickly made good on a promise to sharpen his criticism of her in what promised to be a drawn-out White House brawl.

US President George Bush has hailed the killing of “the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq” but said it would not stop the violence there or bring a speedy withdrawal of US troops.

US President George Bush today threw more resources at the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast as criticism mounted that a slow response by the government had contributed to the misery of thousands of people in the region.

President George W Bush today promised stunned and suffering hurricane victims along America’s battered Gulf Coast that he would fix what’s “not going exactly right” in the storm’s aftermath.

Confronting one of the nation’s worst natural disasters, US President George Bush said rebuilding from the massive devastation of Hurricane Katrina would take years and that “the days seem awfully dark” for millions of people suffering across the devastated Gulf Coast.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said today he received assurances from President George Bush that he will promote an Israel-Palestinian settlement on an ”accelerated basis.”

US PRESIDENT George Bush yesterday pledged $50 million (€40m) in aid to the Palestinian Authority.

US President George W Bush yesterday endorsed the creation of a national intelligence czar and counter-terrorism centre — his first steps in revamping the nation’s intelligence-gathering system to try to prevent a repeat of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Iraqi authorities hope to file criminal charges against Saddam Hussein and others in the former regime before the June 30 transfer of sovereignty to the new government, a senior official said today.

US President George W Bush yesterday said that Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld “will stay in my Cabinet” despite calls for his resignation by Democrats in the wake of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of American captors.

TEN American soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday as marines who had been pounding the hotbed city of Fallujah withdrew, handing over command to one of Saddam's top generals.

US President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney today answered questions for over three hours from September 11 commissioners trying to learn how followers of Osama bin Laden pulled off the worst terrorist attack in US history.

Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill says Israel might yet face US pressure to take part in talks.

President George Bush said today he has government lawyers working on a law that would define marriage as a union between a woman and a man, casting aside calls to legalise gay marriages.

United States President George W Bush will hold his first news conference in more than four months at 3.30pm Irish time (10.30am ET) when he meets reporters in the White House Rose Garden.

Turning his attention to economic matters at home, President George Bush today demanded at least €500bn in tax cuts over 10 years.

THE new “road map” to peace in the Middle East could result in a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH said he is close to a deal with Congress to “speak with one voice” against Saddam Hussein.

Britain and the US have reached agreement on a tough UN resolution on Iraq and will present a proposed text to Russia, France and China, the other permanent members of the Security Council, a senior White House official said tonight.

Israel’s largest military offensive in a generation, which allegedly included an assault on the birthplace of Christianity, tonight spurred President Bush into action.