United States

• Thursday, January 31st 2019 - 09:15 UTC

  Federal Reserve adopts “wait and see” policy. Economy facing contradictory picture of crosscurrents, says Powell

  

  The Federal Reserve on Wednesday signaled its three-year-drive to tighten monetary policy may be at an end amid a suddenly cloudy outlook for the U.S. economy due to global headwinds and impasses over trade and government budget negotiations.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2019 - 09:56 UTC

  US farm lobbies want a post-Brexit UK food quality standard lowered

  

  United States lobby groups for agriculture and pharmaceutical firms want UK standards changed to be closer to those of the US in a post-Brexit trade deal. The meat lobby wants the sale of growth hormone-fed beef, currently banned in the UK and EU, to be allowed in the UK.

• Wednesday, January 30th 2019 - 09:46 UTC

  Russia and China criticize US sanctions on Venezuela: “they undermine confidence in the international financial system”

  

  Russia and China strongly criticized U.S. sanctions placed on Venezuela, with the former pledging to support the beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday the sanctions completely undermined confidence in an international financial system that is dominated by the U.S., Russian news agency Interfax reported.

• Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 14:28 UTC

  Guaidó on military option in Venezuela: All options are on the table

  

  Consulted on possible military option in Venezuela, the declared interim President of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, told the CNN channel that all the options are on the table “to achieve the cessation of the usurpation”.

• Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:25 UTC

  Rough times ahead: US Justice files several criminal charges against Huawei and the owner's daughter

  

  The United States Justice Department has filed a host of criminal charges against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. The charges against the world's second largest smart-phone maker include accusations of bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology.

• Tuesday, January 29th 2019 - 09:03 UTC

  US tightening the noose: Venezuelan oil proceeds will be withheld from Maduro's government

  

  The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil firm PDVSA and urged the country's military to accept a peaceful transfer of power. National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Nicolás Maduro and his allies could “no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan people”. Efforts by the opposition to unseat Mr Maduro have increased in recent days.

• Monday, January 28th 2019 - 09:21 UTC

  Maduro rejects elections but gives US diplomats 30 days to leave; Guaidó calls for protests on Wednesday and Saturday

  

  The US has warned Venezuela that any threats against American diplomats or opposition leader Juan Guaidó will be met with “a significant response”. National Security Adviser John Bolton said any such “intimidation” would be “a grave assault on the rule of law”.

• Monday, January 28th 2019 - 08:32 UTC

  Brazil's corn and soybeans January exports booming

  

  Brazil is poised to export more corn than soybeans for the first time in a year this January, although sales of the oilseed remain high for the period, according to government and shipping data.

• Saturday, January 26th 2019 - 20:02 UTC

  USA at the UN: Countries should support transition in Venezuela; Russia denounces interventionist acts

  

  The Security Council convened by the United States this Saturday to discuss the institutional and political crisis that Venezuela is experiencing has been lifted this afternoon. With a strongly polarized participation, the bloc that supports the transitional government of Juan Guaidó with the US at the head, faced the block that recognizes as legitimate the regime of Nicolás Maduro, headed by Russia and China. Latin American countries also expressed their positions, describing the case as a crisis that directly affects the region.

• Saturday, January 26th 2019 - 08:48 UTC

  Guaidó rejects dialogue offer from Maduro; UN Security Council to address the Venezuela situation on Saturday

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has rejected an offer of talks from President Nicolás Maduro amid an ongoing power struggle between the two. Guaidó declared himself “acting president” on Wednesday, a position that has been recognized by several countries, including the US, Canada, the Lima Group and some EU members, but not the EU as a block..