Reno's statement provided an upbeat assessment of her department's wide-ranging talks with Beijing's 20-member delegation.

CNN: Reno Asks China's Help

Mr Broughton said his boss, John Eardley, rang him a week after Mr Farr's death to ask him to retrospectively sign a method statement, a risk assessment and a computer-aided drawing of the barrier's construction.

BBC: Last Updated: Monday, 6 March 2006, 19:55 GMT

The FOMC statement gave an arguably upbeat assessment of the overall U.S. economic condition.

FORBES: P.M. Kitco Metals Roundup: Comex Gold Trades Weaker in Late Choppy Trading, in Wake of FOMC Statement

"The fact that these errors occurred is simply unacceptable to Pearson as we fully understand the importance of accurate scoring, " Scott Smith, the president of learning assessment at Pearson, said in a statement.

WSJ: Gifted Exam Scoring Flaws Are Uncovered

That idea was triggered by the lack of any such hints from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in a Feb. 29 congressional appearance, a slightly improved Fed assessment of the economy in its last policy statement, and three straight months with rises of more than 200, 000 jobs in U.S. non-farm payrolls.

FORBES: Gold Extends Current Downtrend After Weak Chinese, European Economic Data

The Wednesday afternoon FOMC statement and Fed Chairman Bernanke press conference saw a downbeat assessment of the U.S. economy.

FORBES: Comex Gold, Silver Lower as U.S. Dollar Index Stronger, Crude Oil Sharply Lower

"The assessment is still under way and this number will continue to grow, " the statement said.

CNN: Colorado fire tops 55,000 acres, could spread with hot, windy weather

"This correspondence has now been referred for internal assessment to determine whether a criminal offence has occurred, " police said in a statement.

BBC: Australian MP Craig Thomson in sex scandal inquiry