President Barack Obama will have scant time to rest up from his eight-day Asia trip.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday defended the costly bailout of insurer AIG and urged swift regulatory reform to safeguard the economy from the failure of big financial firms.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday defended the costly bailout of insurer AIG and urged swift regulatory reform to safeguard the economy from the failure of big financial firms.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional panel on Thursday approved a measure to open the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions to government audits, a surprise blow to the central bank's efforts to shield its independence and a signal of frustration with the central bank.

And now the Botax? Once-shelved tax on face lifts, tummy tucks could help fund health bill. They call it the "Botax." The White House and Senate Democrats have turned to a proposal to tax breast implants, tummy tucks, wrinkle-smoothing injections and other procedures as they search for ways to pay for costly health care overhaul plans.

Tough decisions, showdown votes await Obama on health care, Afghanistan, jobs, banks. President Barack Obama will have scant time to rest up from his eight-day Asia trip. On Saturday, two days after his return to Washington, the Senate plans a make-or-break vote on his hard-fought plan to overhaul the nation's health care system. Obama also confronts a difficult choice on strategy and troop levels in Afghanistan, which will be criticized no matter what he decides.

Influential US lawmakers on Thursday called for levying a new income tax to pay for the war in Afghanistan, warning its costs pose a mortal threat to efforts like a sweeping health care overhaul.

Alcoa to idle Italy smelters after EU says electricity subsidies must end, aid must be repaid. Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. said Thursday it will temporarily idle production at its two smelters in Italy, affecting about 2,000 workers, after a decision by the European Union left the company's ability to secure electricity for the plants at low rates uncertain.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Progress toward tighter U.S. financial regulation faltered in the U.S. Congress on Thursday as a House committee postponed a pivotal vote and Republicans on a Senate committee aired stubborn opposition.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Progress toward tighter U.S. financial regulation faltered in the U.S. Congress on Thursday as a House committee postponed a pivotal vote and Republicans on a Senate committee aired stubborn opposition.

Canadians in Stanstead and Americans across the border in Derby Line, Vermont once lived in harmony as one community, mostly ignoring the imaginary line that separates them.

House votes to block Medicare cuts to doctors, Republicans see a payoff to the AMA. The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to add more than $200 billion to the deficit to prevent steep Medicare payment cuts to doctors, a move Republicans denounced as a political payoff.

The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to add more than $200 billion to the deficit to prevent steep Medicare payment cuts to doctors, a move Republicans denounced as a political payoff.

China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up.

China to punish those concealing swine flu cases, while doctor warns of cover-up. China's health ministry said it will punish officials who underreport cases of swine flu after a doctor famous for exposing the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic said he believes the true number of swine flu deaths is being covered up.

(Reuters) - Some of Goldman Sachs Group Inc's <GS.N> largest shareholders have asked the company to cut the size of its bonus pool and pass along more of its profits to investors, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has promised severe punishment for officials caught concealing deaths from H1N1 swine flu after a medical expert said suspect cases may have been held back by local governments.

China has ordered more accurate reporting of swine flu deaths after a doctor renowned for helping expose the scale of the 2003 SARS outbreak claimed the true number of fatalities was being covered up.

A nonprofit group's campaign to hold free medical clinics for the uninsured in three states aims to persuade moderate Democrats to support their party's health care reform efforts.

This city did not wait for Washington's health care overhaul. Most uninsured adults here are already reaping the benefits of a government-run health care program ? seeing doctors, filling prescriptions, and getting surgeries they could not otherwise afford.