Fiscal cliff Obama's first challenge - The Australian

The world watches as Barack Obama prepares for his biggest challenge yet - to break the deadlock in congress and ensure stability for the US and global economies

Back to work: Barack Obama returns to the White House for a second term "more determined and more inspired than ever", promising to reach out to political opponents in the weeks ahead to find a solution to his nation's economic problems. But the Democratic President faces a challenge to his rhetoric almost immediately, as tough negotiations lie ahead with Republicans in congress on automatic spending cuts that could plunge the US into a further recession unless a compromise is reached by December 31.