The International Monetary Fund has warned the United States that it must resolve its debt crisis quickly or risk a severe shock to the American economy.

The IMF said that if American lawmakers failed to agree a new debt ceiling by next week, it would also affect global financial markets. From Washington, Mark Mardell has more.

America is this close to the brink because of the

ideological

chasm

between President Obama's Democrats and the newly reinvigorated Republicans, who are in control of the House of Representatives after last year's mid-term elections. Many of the new Republican members were backed by the economically conservative Tea Party movement and campaigned promising to deal with America's ballooning debt and what they see as bloated government spending. Most expect a last-minute deal will be done, but it won't be easy when the system means the two parties have to agree and the political reality is there's very little common ground.

President Obama has announced a new strategy to combat international organised crime, saying it represents a growing threat to the United States and its allies. In an executive order, Mr Obama imposed economic sanctions including an asset freeze on four criminal groups: the Italian Camorra, the Japanese Yakuza, the Mexican drugs cartel Los Zetas and the Brothers' Circle, based

largely

across the former Soviet Union.

BBC News

Flooding in eastern Ghana has forced about 10,000 people to flee from their homes and has left four people dead. A regional disaster coordination official described the situation as "getting