
The United States and European Union launched negotiations on one of the world's most ambitious free-trade agreements on Monday, promising thousands of jobs and speedier growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

Venezuela is awaiting the arrival of 760.000 tons of food from different associated countries and which are destined to build a national reserve of food, according to Food Minister Felix Osorio. The announcement follows strong suggestions that rationing of certain food and toiletry items was in the pipeline.

President Dilma Rousseff ratified Latinamerica and Mercosur as Brazil’s foreign policy priorities, but at the same time emphasizing the ‘excellent relations’ with the United States and the European Union.

Pope Francis on Monday received in a 20-minute audience President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro in the hall of the Vatican Apostolic Library. On arrival at the hall known as Sala del Tronetto, the Venezuelan president said it was an honour to meet the pope, adding that he was very impressed and happy to be there. He also thanked the Argentine pope for everything you are doing.

Ecuador will continue to grant WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asylum at its London embassy, the foreign minister said on Monday after failing to reach a solution to the case with Britain.

Paraguay president-elect Horacio Cartes ratified he will not be attending the coming Mercosur summit scheduled to take place July 12 in Montevideo, confirmed one of his foreign policy advisors since the Paraguayan position remains that “Venezuela is not a full member of Mercosur because the Paraguayan congress by overwhelming majority rejected such option in August 2012”.

The British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) signed a Letter of Understanding to implement a new Cooperation Program to extend the long-term collaboration between the parties.

President Barack Obama has named Lilian Ayalde a career diplomat with a long experience in international cooperation and former ambassador to Paraguay as the next ambassador to Brazil it was announced by the White House.

Police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse around 3,000 protestors from outside Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium ahead of the Confederations Cup match between Italy and Mexico on Sunday.

The relationship between former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and ex-Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has been turned into an opera which opened in Paris for a five-night run. “Allies” revolves around a televised 1999 meeting of the two late leaders when Pinochet was being held under house arrest in Britain.