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The couple who crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner communicated with a senior Pentagon official about going to the event, but the official denies that she helped the couple get in.

The heavily indebted Dubai World is not guaranteed by the emirate's government, a top financial official from the city state said Monday, offering little direction to anxious investors on a day when stock markets in the United Arab Emirates registered a record fall on the back of Dubai's debt mess.

New figures show that the amount of money lent into the economy fell again in October.

Consumers have repaid a record level of unsecured debt during October as they continued to focus on improving their finances in the face of the recession, figures showed.

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DUBAI: Dubai's property market is likely to face further price falls and increased concerns over the availability of finance after the emirate said it would delay debt payment issued by two of its flagship firms, analysts said.

"Hi. I'm Tom, and I'm a compulsive spender." So begins a recent gathering of Debtors Anonymous, a support group for those addicted to overspending.

Investigators in Florida alerted Michigan authorities to be on the lookout Saturday for a man accused of shooting four relatives to death after a Thanksgiving dinner in South Florida.

From colorful glass pieces giving off sparkle to lamps and mirrors that play with the light, adding glamour to a room is easy - and something people are seeking, says interior designer Jan Showers.

Family members say an assistant federal public defender found slain in her Oregon home didn't express fear about retribution from her clients.

Like many home owners in the U.S., hotels are starting to drown in debt. They have been enticing travelers all year with sweet deals: credits for in-house spas and restaurants, up to 50 percent off five-star rooms, even free nights.

The Obama administration plans to announce on Monday a campaign to press mortgage companies to reduce payments for many more struggling homeowners, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

A former home of Arizona Sen. John McCain is scheduled to go up for auction next week.

Older Americans who were raised on stories of the Great Depression and acquired lifelong habits of thrift now find themselves crowding soup kitchens and food pantries in greater numbers for the first time after seeing retirement funds, second jobs and nest eggs wiped out by recession.

Black walls aren't just for Goth kids and heavy-metal fans anymore. They're popping up in upscale shelter magazines, hipster design blogs and just about everywhere in between.

An autopsy has found that an assistant federal public defender found dead in her home was strangled.Nancy Bergeson was found Tuesday afternoon lying face down in the dining room of her southwest Portland home.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Friday congressional proposals to audit the Fed and strip it of regulatory powers as part of post-crisis reforms could damage prospects for economic and financial health in the future.

The Secret Service is investigating how a couple aspiring to be reality-show celebrities managed to appear at President Obama's first state dinner without being on the guest list, provoking questions about security at the White House.

Tourists traveling the vast expanse of tribal lands in northern Arizona soon will have a venue to learn about the culture of one of the oldest indigenous tribes in America.

Three women and a child in bed were shot to death during a family Thanksgiving gathering in South Florida and a male relative was being sought early Friday.

Caption: Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry 6th annual Keep a Child Alive New York City, USA .... HALLE BERRY is doubling up in the property market, selling off the Hollywood hideaway she bought in 2001 for more than twice what she paid for it.

No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems.

A village near Trowbridge has been celebrating the reopening of its only pub after it was closed for more than 18 months.

Joseph Kuzava was seriously injured when the home he rents at 8 Chaucer Street apparently exploded early this morning.

Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger's luxury estate in Connecticut has sold for $20 million, about $8 million below its original asking price.

Not to be unpatriotic, but another 'cranberry' outshines our traditional Thanksgiving cranberry.

Share + Nov 25, 2009 4:00 pm US/Central NEW YORK 1 of 1 Holiday shoppers race around for sale items after braving the cold temperatures outside of Target as they start the traditional holiday shopping season Nov.

The number of households paying over $500 a week in mortgage payments dropped 3% in the year ending June 2009.

With arugula straight from his garden and entertainment by two Oscar winners, President Barack Obama offered a fresh take on the state dinner Tuesday in Washington's top social event since his inauguration.

Average rates for 30-year fixed mortgages fell this week, matching a record low set last spring and more than a full percentage point below what they were a year ago, Freddie Mac said Wednesday.

A home sits for sale. The cost of homeownership in Canada became more expensive in the third quarter, according to a report by RBC Economics Research.

On a damp, chilly Tuesday, guest chef Marcus Samuelsson was still out tromping around the White House garden picking herbs for that evening's state dinner at the White House.

Sound advice ... more consumers are discovering that it's not just a matter of a big screen.

Three generations of Wyeth artworks will be auctioned next month, including 14 original oil canvases by N.C. Wyeth that were used to lavishly illustrate the classic adventure tale of "Robinson Crusoe." The Dec.

A Virginia Beach man faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with a mortgage loan scheme.

A South Florida pastor and his wife have been convicted in Miami federal court on charges that they took part in a $7 million money laundering and mortgage fraud scheme.

The number of mortgages approved for house purchase rose to its highest level for nearly two years during October as buyers continued to return to the market, figures showed today.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday hosts his first state dinner and -- like the US$1.4-trillion deficit -- the darn thing just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

The former Phoenix home of Sen. John McCain is going on the auction block. Higgenbotham Auctioneers, International, say bidding for the home near Central and Glendale avenues will start at $5.9 million.

Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac on Monday put its initial loss estimate related to the bankruptcy of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.

Up to four MPs and peers are to face fraud charges over the expenses scandal by early in the New Year, it emerged today.

Daniel Suelo had a CU Masters degree in accounting and a promising career in 2000 when he began what he calls "an experiment." Since that time nine years ago, he has lived without money.

A senior Federal Reserve official said on Sunday the central bank should keep alive its mortgage-related assets purchase program beyond a planned end-date to give policy-makers more flexibility as they help the economy recover from a painful recession.

Kansas City -- Steve Mann doesn't look like an outlaw as he cheerfully harvests giant rutabagas and luscious lettuce bunches from a friend's garden in Kansas City, North.

Mike Rann in the office Michelle Chantelois says they used for sex. The married woman who says she had a sexual affair with South Australian Premier Mike Rann says the politician a a used me to stroke his own egoa TMa TM.

The brick mansion where Fairmont lawyer Francis H. Pierpont governed the Restored State of Virginia during the Civil War is for sale.

Even before the recession, more than one in five Americans needed help from family, friends or outsiders to pay for basic needs, according to a survey by the Census Bureau.

As millions of Americans struggle to hold on to their homes, Wall Street has found a way to make money from the mortgage mess.

When decorating our homes, we tend to consider things like beauty and comfort, the durability of pieces we might buy or the image they project.

A federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon has indicted 13 people on mortgage and loan fraud charges.

We are in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. More than 27 million American workers are either unemployed, underemployed or have given up looking for work.

Q I've noticed a very strong smell coming from my gerbils' cage. I change the sawdust, bedding and sand regularly, so what could be causing this? A If you have changed their diet recently or are giving them new treats, this could have changed the smell of their urine or faeces.

Not to be unpatriotic, but another 'cranberry' outshines our traditional Thanksgiving cranberry.

At holiday time, trains whiz through Richard Kloewer's yard, past the lighted evergreen trees, dolls, teddy bears, even a miniature Harley Davidson display.

Police say thieves shot to death five Arkansas family members and burned their bodies for a set of wheel rims and some flat-screen televisions.

"In the next 60 seconds, 10 children will die of hunger," says a United Nations World Food Programme online video.

A federal grand jury sitting in Eugene, Oregon, yesterday returned indictments against thirteen individuals on a variety of mortgage and loan fraud charges arising out of the collapse of Desert Sun Development , a company previously headquartered in Bend, Oregon.

Seven people were arrested Thursday and charged with operating a $142 million mortgage and security fraud that pushed 201 Riverside County homes into foreclosure and harmed hundreds of investors in California and Arizona, driving many to financial ruin.

British house prices could retreat in 2010 if unemployment rises sharply, Britain's third-largest mortgage lender Nationwide warned on Friday.

State and federal prosecutors have charged seven people in an alleged securities scam that cheated dozens of people out of $17 million.

Banks borrowed slightly less from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program over the past week, but increased their use of other credit programs designed to ease the financial crisis.

Watchdog: Stimulus job creation data flawed A A The government watchdog overseeing economic stimulus spending said Thursday that, in its rush to take credit for saving hundreds of thousands of jobs, the Obama administration was overly confident in its job-counting. updated Nov.

Spanish banking giant Santander is set to launch an assault on the current account market with the introduction of a fee-free account available to mortgage customers.

The Canadian Press Two of Canada's big banks said Wednesday they would cut their posted rates for fixed-rate mortgages by up to 0.2 percentage points.

DEARBORN, Mich. a ' There's a swirl of activity in a spacious, modern kitchen as final meal preparations are made.

The budding economic recovery is getting little help from the home building industry, which normally creates jobs and boosts growth as a recession ends.

Mortgage loan applications decreased 2.5 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Nov.

Mrs. Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Hollin Meadows Elementary to promote the Obama administration's Healthier U.S. Schools initiative.

US consumer prices rose by a higher-than-expected 0.3% in October primarily on the back of higher petrol prices.

PHOENIX a ' State lawmakers are once again trying to remove some legal protections speculators have from being pursued by banks if they walk away from home mortgages.

The recession is downsizing everything - even South Carolina's Statehouse Christmas tree.

A homeowner knew something was amiss when he came home, opened his garage door and found a white Lexus that wasn't his parked in the garage.

The Obama administration announced a government-wide task force to combat financial fraud after the U.S. recession led to an increase in economic crimes.

Lloyds Banking Group has slashed interest rates on a number of its mortgages and launched a new best buy deal.

Some mixed news on mortgage delinquencies. The good news is, the pace at which people fell behind on their mortgages slowed during the summer for the third quarter in a row.

Petrol prices have pushed up inflation for the first time since February, official figures show.

A Middle Tennessee State University professor has been sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison in a mortgage fraud scheme.

Workers at the Norfolk Botanical Garden are cleaning up after Tropical Storm Ida's remnants destroyed more than 40 trees and shrubs.

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank is floating a proposal to use the interest the government collects from the federal financial bailout fund to give loans to unemployed homeowners struggling to pay the mortgage.

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Housing Monday 16th November 2009 - 2:22pm Suspended sentence for mother who left four young children 'home alone' A mother who abandoned her four young children to go on a 24-hour drink and drug binge was given a suspended jail sentence today.

Financial officials in Japan and China, Asiaa s two largest economies, warned the Federal Reservea s interest-rate policy risks spurring speculative capital that may inflate asset prices and derail the global economic recovery.

Mel Gibson says the best advice he was ever given was to dig ditches and now grows vegetables to become a better person.

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New Zealanders are still optimistic about the state of the housing market, according to an ASB survey.

Defending MPs: House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said he could understand if politicians felt put out by new expenses rules MPs are facing 'rough justice' over the expenses crackdown, Commons Speaker John Bercow said today - as he defended a 45,000 claim for refurbishing his lavish official residence.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd's sweeping new financial overhaul legislation, which proposes to strip the Federal Reserve of its authority to regulate banks, threatens the central bank's time-honored independence and its premier international standing, experts warn.

Winter veggies include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese peas, garlic, leeks, lettuces, onions, peas, radishes, snap peas, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.

Though it's been getting second billing to the original $8,000 credit for first-time purchasers - now extended by Congress through June 30 - the $6,500 credit for current homeowners just might have your name on it.

SAN DIEGO - Federal Housing Administration Commissioner David Stevens said Saturday that concerns the agency is headed for the same financial trouble that snared Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the subprime sector are unwarranted.

Woodmen of the World wants U.S. Bank to pay nearly $30 million for investing some of the insurer's assets in risky mortgage-backed securities that plummeted in value instead of the conservative investments the bank promised.

A WAR of words has erupted between Eastbourne's MP and the man who would like his job.

China has launched a national pilot project to provide loans to companies that are eligible to put up their intellectual property rights like patent as collateral.

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A former judge whose esteemed legal career ended amid accusations about his relationship with a stripper was sentenced Friday to serve one year of probation for bank fraud.

A British heritage charity is encouraging employees to help the environment by eschewing indoor toilets and relieving themselves outdoors.

FSA has been accused of viewing mortgage lenders as 'drug dealers' The City watchdog was accused of viewing mortgage lenders as being like "drug dealers at the school gates". The chairman of the Council of Mortgage Lenders said the Financial Services Authority saw consumers as "wanton children" who did not know what was good for them.

The Federal Reserve announced new rules Thursday that would prohibit banks and other issuers of debit cards from charging overdraft fees in many instances without the permission of the cardholder.

Two robbers forced their way into a borough woman's home Thursday morning and hit her with a stun gun before binding her and escaping with cash, police said.

San Bernardino County narcotics agents have seized 1,300 pounds of marijuana during a raid of an Ontario home used by a Mexican drug cartel.

A federal prosecutor says the former owner of a Nevada property firm faces conspiracy and fraud charges in a mortgage fraud scheme involving so-called "straw buyers" and false loan documents.

The swift acquittal of two Bear Stearns executives in the government's criminal case tied to the financial meltdown probably will force prosecutors to rethink the evidence they planned to present in a raft of cases that have yet to go to trial, legal experts say.

The Federal Housing Administration says its financial cushion has dipped to a dangerously low level but should remain above zero under "most economic scenarios." The agency, a major source of funds for first-time homebuyers, faces mounting concerns that it will eventually need a taxpayer bailout as losses grow from homeowners who lose their jobs ...

Narcotics detectives raid what they call "a typical weed and crack house" By Rick Pfeiffer rick.pfeiffer@niagara-gazette.com Niagara Gazette Falls police narcotics detectives, along with members of the department's Emergency Response Team took a bite out of the city's weed trade with a raid Wednesday night on a Tennessee Avenue home.

Interest rates could stay at record lows of 0.5% throughout next year to underpin a UK recovery, experts have said.

RUSSELL BRAND has sparked rumours he is planning to quit his native Britain to move to America with his girlfriend KATY PERRY after putting his London home up for sale.

Many of the new gardeners didn't know how to grow vegetables, and weren't sure what to do with them once they did.

More first-time buyers have taken advantage of the government's stamp duty holiday to enter the market, helping boost the number of mortgages approvals in September, figures from lenders showed.

Stubbornly high joblessness threatens to trigger loan defaults and drag on consumption next year, hobbling a U.S. economy struggling to rebound from recession, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Wednesday.

A 2.3 per cent rise in petrol prices combined with the interest rate rises weighed on confidence Consumer confidence has slipped for the first time in five months, but remains well above average levels.

JPMorgan Chase says it will hire 1,200 mortgage loan officers by the end of next year, a 60 percent increase in its sales force.

After a slow start, the Obama administration's mortgage relief program has reached one in five eligible homeowners, a government report says.

Dodd's 1,100 page-draft would strip the Federal Reserve and other regulators of their powers to regulate banks and hand that job to a single agency.

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing Tuesday 10th November 2009 - 10:13am House prices up 1.2% in September - official figures House prices rose for the sixth month in a row during September, jumping by 1.2%, Government figures showed today.

Mortgage lenders have vowed not to take legal action against struggling homeowners - but only if they can work out a deal on repayments.

Poor Bill Yosses. He's the White House pastry chef. He makes desserts for a living.

Gulf Coast residents hunkered down at home and in shelters Monday as a rare late-season tropical storm headed their way, bringing with it the potential for high winds, flooding and up to 8 inches of rain in some places.

Banks expect to tighten terms on credit cards in response to a new law that aims to protect consumers from sudden rate hikes, the Federal Reserve said Monday.

THE scene is set for a home construction boom after a record number of Australians rushed to take advantage of the First Home Owners Boost in September before it was reduced from last month.

Planting seeds is a satisfying way to grow trees and shrubs, and gives you a special affection for the plants.

Angel Ruiz, the former custodian at the Pickleweed Park Community Center, enjoyed drinking coffee and coaching kid's soccer, so an altar honoring him at Saturday's Day of the Dead celebration at the center included a bright yellow soccer uniform and a cup filled with coffee beans.

After notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar was killed, the son who many thought would succeed him fled Colombia, assumed a new identity and lived a low-profile life as an architect in Argentina.

Share + Nov 8, 2009 1:00 pm US/Central 1 of 1 President Barack Obama is calling the Iraqi parliament's passage of a much-delayed election law an a milestone as the Iraqi people take charge of their future.

In New York the other day, a debtor drove 10 city blocks with a repo man clinging to the hood of her car.

Are you a T-shirt-and-jeans person with a chintz living room, or someone who loves the structure of a suit but wakes up in a shabby chic bedroom? The decorating world is shifting toward a streamlined look that, at the very least, complements the personal style that people already incorporate into their wardrobes.

The Duchess of Cornwall has been hailed as a Queen by an admirer who stole a kiss from the royal.

Those days are still here - consumers continue to be unprotected from closing cost shocks or intentional lowballing of fees - but in about eight weeks the situation should change dramatically.

A lot of lives have changed since Barack Obama won the presidential election one year ago last Wednesday, none so much as the life of Chicago's Sam Kass, the engaging, shaved-head assistant White House chef and food initiative coordinator, a crusader for healthy eating who has shot to fame in the almost 10 months the Obamas have been in the White ...

Reuters Posted: Saturday, Nov 07, 2009 at 1524 hrs IST Updated: Saturday, Nov 07, 2009 at 1524 hrs IST New York: Freddie Mac, the second largest provider of US residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a "prolonged deterioration" in housing.

Caption: Toni Braxton attends the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation Breakthrough Ball, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, USA .... BRAXTON AND HUSBAND SPLIT? Soul singer TONI BRAXTON has reportedly split from her husband KERI LEWIS after eight years of marriage.

Its TV and print ads poke fun at the bait-and-switch tactics of other banks. Its interest rates on CDs have been the most generous in the industry.

Every two weeks, Naisi Obando and her children join the crowd at the water truck when it rumbles up a dusty road into their shantytown.

For months he had warned it was coming but that didn't ease the political shockwaves for President Barack Obama when unemployment topped 10 percent.

Police in Las Vegas say they arrested a fugitive in a 2004 nightclub slaying in Oakland, Calif.

When decorating our homes, we tend to consider things like beauty and comfort, the durability of pieces we might buy or the image they project.

Consumers likely reduced their borrowing for an eighth straight month in September, as layoffs continue and credit remains tight.

Banks borrowed slightly more from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program over the past week, while reducing their use of other credit programs designed to ease the financial crisis.

The Bank of England says it will pour another 25 billion pounds into the economy and keep its main interest rate at 0.5 percent for the eighth consecutive month.

A half-renovated Victorian era home is offered for sale in the Angelino Heights neighborhood.

Buying a home is about to get cheaper for a whole new crop of homebuyers -- $6,500 cheaper.

An eastern Indiana woman says her family's dog deserves a special treat after his barking saved her family from an early morning house fire.

BRAZEN MPs started lobbying for huge pay rises yesterday - just hours after a watchdog unveiled plans to clean up their expenses.

Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday left a key interest rate near zero on Wednesday, specifying for the first time that the rate will be kept at that level as long as unemployment remains high and inflation is stable.

By DAN STRUMPF GMAC Financial Services, the main lender for General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, said Wednesday its loss narrowed to $767 million in the third quarter, as its auto lending unit made money while its home mortgage unit reported another loss.The company's earnings report comes a week after the Treasury Department said it was in ...

Updated at 3:26 p.m. WASHINGTON -- With the recession apparently over, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday held a key interest rate at a record low and again pledged to keep it there for an "extended period" to foster the fragile economic recovery.

Nationalised Northern Rock has said that it expected a "significant improvement" in second-half trading as growth in mortgage arrears slowed.

British lawmakers will be banned from using taxpayers' money to make mortgage payments on second homes or hiring family members as staff under new rules published Wednesday in the wake of a scandal over legislators' allowances.

A federal prosecutor says a crackdown on organized mortgage fraud this year has yielded 105 arrests from Jacksonville to Fort Myers.

Whitney Houston is selling her old marital home. The 'I Will Always Love You' singer is selling the luxury five-bedroom property - where she wed Bobby Brown in 1992 - in New Jersey for just $2.5 million, less than half its estimated worth of $5.6 million.

Householders and businesses were hoping the worst was over after forecasters said showers will clear in the worst-hit flood areas of the UK.

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing Tuesday 3rd November 2009 - 1:57pm UK house prices up 1.2% in October - Halifax House prices increased for the fourth month in a row during October, rising by 1.2%, figures showed today.

Hopes for the fledgling economic recovery got a boost Monday from better-than-expected news on manufacturing, construction and contracts to buy homes.

Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group have been reshaped in the final piece of the state-backed bank bail-out. Philip Aldrick asks the key questions.

Even with the Federal Reserve widely expected to leave interest rates at a record low this week to nurture the fragile recovery, fissures are growing among U.S. policymakers about when to start boosting rates to head off inflation.

A clean-up operation is under way after heavy rain and strong winds caused flooding across the UK.

For Whitney Houston, the greatest love of all may be a great deal on a piece of New Jersey real estate.

A bronze Egyptian sculpture from a Cleveland man's garden that he almost let an antique dealer take for $3,000 a few years ago has sold at auction for $118,000. The 4-foot tall sculpture of a woman carrying a water vessel on her head was in the yard when the man bought his house 40 years ago.

By COREY WILLIAMS Updated: November 02, 2009, 3:35 AM / The look of the Detroit City Council could change drastically when voters go to the polls in the city's fourth election in just over eight months.

Three major British banks will be forced to break up their activities and sell off hundreds of their divisions.

To neighbours living near the modest west-end bungalow, the work crew probably looked like any contractor doing home renovations.

Amid the heap of obligations and expenses that come with buying a house, title insurance can be one of the most bewildering.

For millions of Americans the rule is simple: If you don't come to work, you don't get paid.

There is such a bounty of botanical-based beauty products, you might think they grow on trees.

Actress Meg Ryan, who will star opposite Timothy Hutton in the December comedy "Serious Moonlight," also seems to be getting serious about selling her Bel-Air home.

Three new High Street banking chains are to be created by the government by 2015 as part of a major overhaul.