Saudis emerge as key US ally against terrorists

A decade after hijackers mostly from Saudi Arabia attacked the United States with passenger jets, the Saudis have emerged as the principal ally of the U.S. against al-Qaida's spinoff group in Yemen and at least twice have disrupted plots to explode sophisticated bombs aboard airlines.

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US opens its banking market to China’s biggest bank

‘It has total assets of roughly $2.5 trillion’:

The United States on Wednesday opened its banking market to ICBC, China’s biggest bank, and extended the US reach of other major Chinese state-controlled banks, citing improvements in Beijing’s bank supervision.

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Australia PM unmoved by Obama on gay marriage

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard stood firm on her opposition to gay marriage Thursday, despite US President Barack Obama saying for the first time that same sex couples should be able to wed.

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