BBC News with Gaenor Howells.

The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, says he is ready to take further action to boost economic growth after new figures show the American economy grew at an annual rate of 1.6% in the second quarter of this year. Mr Bernanke said he was considering unconventional measures. Here is Paul Adams.

The latest growth figures are not quite as bad as everyone expected, but they still make grim reading. Speaking at an annual gathering of central bankers in Wyoming, the Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke admitted there was still a long way to go. But he gave his clearest indication yet that if the economy continues to slow, he'll consider another major purchase of debt or mortgage securities which could stimulate activity but would add to the country's already enormous deficit.