
By John C.K. Daly - The US currently imports more than 80% of the lithium it uses, with the silvery metal winding up in batteries from cell phones to electric cars.

President Barack Obama gave his blessing to a new security arrangement with Mexican leader Enrique Peña Nieto, in which Mexico will make reducing violence a priority over hunting drug cartel kingpins in the war against organized crime. The two presidents said they also want to step up trade and business ties that have been overshadowed by the battle against drug trafficking.

President Barack Obama leaves on Thursday for Mexico and Costa Rica, on a strategic mission to deepen trade ties and jobs’ creation but also hoping to discuss US immigration reform, security threats and drug wars.

President Evo Morales expelled a US development agency from Bolivia, marking the latest confrontation between Washington and a bloc of populist governments in Latin America.

“Under the corrupt populist government of President Cristina Fernandez Argentina is back on the road to ruin” is the kick off for an extremely critical report to be discussed by the US Congress and which was drafted by Douglas Farah, senior research fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Centre under the heading of “Back to the future”.

The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced that the redesigned 100 dollars note will begin circulating on October 8, 2013. This note, which incorporates new security features such as a blue, 3-D security ribbon, will be easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.

The United States Mint has temporarily suspended sales of one-tenth ounce American Gold Eagle bullion coins. The suspension was indicated late Tuesday within a memo distributed to authorized purchasers citing recent strong demand for the gold bullion coins.

China is on course to overtake the US as the world’s top crude importer by 2014, as the Asian country’s growing refining capacity boosts demand and America’s fracking boom cuts the need for foreign oil, OPEC said in its monthly report.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro named a new acting head of its US diplomatic mission in Washington and sent an offer of dialogue after attacking the United States for interference in a row over his election.

United States, Peru and Chile among others extended their congratulations to president-elect Horacio Cartes and to the Paraguayan people for the ‘extraordinary’ Election Day last Sunday and their significant turnout in such special circumstances.