
A week of trade talks in Brussels have taken the European Union and the United States a little closer to a deal to liberalize bilateral trade. EU officials say the trade relationship with the US is already the biggest in the world, worth more than 2bn Euros a day, but barriers remain, and removing them could make it even bigger. If it happens, the agreement would be huge, capable of changing the shape of global trade.

United States sided with Spain's Repsol position in the dispute over the seizure of a majority stake in YPF by the administration of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez last year, a dispute which remains unresolved over compensation for the assets.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday declared that a nearly 200-year-old policy which had governed Washington's relations with Latin America was finally dead. Known as the Monroe Doctrine after it was adopted in 1823 by former US president James Monroe, the policy had stated that any efforts by European countries to colonize land in North or South America would be views as aggressive acts and could require US intervention.

Boneless and matured lamb and mutton from Uruguay will have access to the United States market as of next 29 November. The announcement was made in Montevideo by visiting US Agriculture Under Secretary Edward Avalos, following its publication in the US Federal Registry and means the conclusion of nine years of negotiations.

Janet Yellen, President Obama's choice to lead the Federal Reserve, said the central bank would not stop its stimulus efforts until the labor market improves and inflation rises. The comments came in a statement prepared for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee. Thursday's hearing is a chance for Senators to question Ms Yellen.

OPEC said on Tuesday its rivals will produce more oil than expected this year, as it continued backpedaling from its previous skepticism over the significance of a US shale boom. The views of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries show it is narrowing its differences with oil consumers on the impact of resurgent North American output.

The son of Suriname's president has been charged by the United States with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Dino Bouterse was allegedly paid millions of dollars to provide a base and weapons for Hezbollah fighters.

The US economy added a better-than-expected 204,000 jobs in October, according to the latest figures from the Labor Department. There had been fears that the 16-day shutdown of government services last month could have hit jobs growth.

United States Tuesday's election results point the way to next year's mid-term elections and showed the emergence of several candidates with the charisma, age and capacity to attract outside voters that could help them have a go at the White House in three years time.

Brazil's Minster of Justice Jose Eduardo Cardozo said on Tuesday that the spying performed by his country's intelligence agency did not violate anyone's privacy rights - unlike the spying committed by the United States.