Shooting victim a lead weapon in gun-control fight

Sari Horwitz For hours, Gabrielle Giffords had been working the halls of Congress, walking with difficulty or being pushed in her wheelchair.

State of the Union? Divided by the gun

Nick O'Malley One way to get an idea of just how divided these United States are at present is to have a quick glance at the guest list for the State of the Union speech.

Rancour and relief as US pulls back from brink

Nick O'Malley Minutes before the midnight deadline of the fiscal cliff Democrats started celebrating a partial victory – it appeared the White House and Senate leaders had cut a deal and the US would begin...

Nick O'Malley

11th hour deal gives Obama a breather

Nick O'Malley WASHINGTON: Minutes before the midnight deadline of the fiscal cliff, Democrats started celebrating a partial victory.

Debt battle rages, with Republicans firing first

Nick O'Malley BEFORE the dust has even begun to settle from the battle over the so-called fiscal cliff in Washington there were indications over the weekend that the New Year's Eve showdown might have been a...

Chinese dissident pleads for his family

WASHINGTON: The dissident at the centre of a stand-off between China and the US has accused Beijing of failing to live up to its promises as US politicians rallied behind him.

Democrats to swallow 'Satan sandwich'

Paul Kane, Lori Montgomery WASHINGTON: A plan to lift America's debt limit and reduce government spending has cleared a hurdle in the House of Representatives and was expected to clear the Senate early today Sydney time, as...

Emotional return upstages US vote

James Rowley and Lisa Lerer, Washington Seven months after a gunman's bullet shattered her skull, Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords makes a surprise and emotional return to Capitol Hill to vote for raising the US debt ceiling.

Tensions rise in US debt talks House Speaker accuses White House of moving goal posts

Simon Mann US congressional leaders were looking to issue soothing words before today's opening of Asian financial markets, as tortuous negotiations over raising America's debt ceiling in return for budget...

US calls for calm as debt crunch nears

Simon Mann WASHINGTON: Congressional leaders were looking to issue soothing words before today's opening of Asian financial markets, after torturous negotiations over raising America's debt ceiling teetered...

Democrat faces teen sex claims

Terrence Petty PORTLAND: A US congressman from Oregon, David Wu, faces calls for his resignation after a young woman reportedly said she had had an ''unwanted sexual encounter'' with the Democratic Party politician...

America on the precipice

Simon Mann Wars in the Middle East, tax cuts for the wealthy and unfunded social welfare programs have the US on the brink of defaulting on its $14.3 trillion debt.

Afghanistan troop cuts risky, warns US military

Simon Mann WASHINGTON: US military leaders have supported Barack Obama's planned troop withdrawals from Afghanistan but warned that doing so in the middle of a fighting season risked hard-fought recent gains.

US troop withdrawal gets qualified nod from military

Simon Mann, Washington America's military leaders have supported Barack Obama's planned troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, but warned that doing so in the middle of a fighting season poses some risk to hard-fought recent...

Weiner to step down: official

EMBATTLED Democratic representative Anthony Weiner plans to resign from the Congress after admitting he sent inappropriate messages and photos of himself to women on the Internet, according to a...

Weiner seeks treatment as quit calls mount

US Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner is seeking a leave of absence to seek treatment as top Democrats called for his resignation for sending suggestive photos of himself and messages to women...

Democrats join calls for Weiner to quit as new photo surfaces

Marcus Strom ALBANY: The scandal surrounding Anthony Weiner has taken ever-more surprising turns with the release of an X-rated photograph, purportedly of the New York congressman, and a report that he and his...

Health complaint for Republicans

Republicans are at odds over a proposal to overhaul America's Medicare program for senior citizens, with the policy's electoral risk amplified this week by a stunning Democrat victory in a...

'Universally admired'

The world watched her recovery after she was shot in the head last year. Now, Gabrielle Giffords is stepping down.

US debt deal reached

Ending a perilous stalemate, US President Barack Obama has announced agreement with Republican congressional leaders on a compromise to avoid the nation's first-ever financial default.