United States

• Monday, June 10th 2013 - 19:44 UTC

  S&P upgrades US credit outlook to ‘stable’; government debt 84% of GDP

  

  Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's On Monday upgraded its credit outlook for the United States government to “stable” from “negative,” saying the chances of a downgrade of the country's rating is “less than one in three.”

• Friday, June 7th 2013 - 07:43 UTC

  US spy chief admits collecting internet information but only targets ‘non-US persons’

  

  US spy chief James Clapper has admitted the government collects communications from internet firms, but says the policy only targets “non-US persons”. The director of national intelligence was responding to articles about an alleged secret programme, Prism.

• Friday, June 7th 2013 - 03:25 UTC

  Major tech companies involved in US controversy over ‘security vs privacy’

  

  Major tech companies including Apple Inc, Google and Facebook Inc said they do not provide any government agency with “direct access” to their servers, contradicting a Washington Post report that they have granted such access under a classified data collection program.

• Thursday, June 6th 2013 - 02:13 UTC

  U.S. and Venezuela agree to start dialogue to restore respective ambassadors

  

  The United States is to start a dialogue with Venezuela aimed at restoring their respective ambassadors, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said. He was speaking after Venezuela freed and deported a US filmmaker who had been held on conspiracy charges. Mr Kerry welcomed Timothy Tracy's release as a “positive development”.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 19:21 UTC

  Uruguay former president calls on Latam to advance in agreements with the US

  

  “The time for rhetoric exercises has run out”, said Uruguayan former president Tabare Vazquez during a presentation before the Latin American Studies Association, LASA, in Washington where he emphasized the need for Latinamerican countries to advance in agreements with the United States.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2013 - 08:37 UTC

  Obama and Piñera in the White House renew push for a trans-Pacific trade agreement

  

  US President Barack Obama and Chilean President Sebastian Piñera renewed their push for a trans-Pacific trade agreement at a meeting in the White House Oval Office on Tuesday that also touched on education and renewable energy.

• Tuesday, June 4th 2013 - 06:07 UTC

  Chile in US visa waiver program; Obama receives Piñera at the White House

  

  Chilean citizens have been chosen for the US Visa Waiver program, Chilean president Sebastián Piñera announced on Monday in Washington. He is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday to talk trade and other regional issues.

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 19:03 UTC

  Biden meets Rousseff, underlines the importance of a broader relationship with Brazil

  

  US Vice-President Joe Biden wound up a visit to Brazil on Friday saying it was high time the two largest economies in the Americas became closer partners in trade, investment and energy. He made the statement following a ‘wide-ranging discussion’ with President Dilma Rousseff at the Planalto palace in Brasilia.

• Saturday, June 1st 2013 - 02:51 UTC

  Chinese company targets US biggest pork firm in a 7.1bn dollar deal

  

  The biggest pork firms in China and the US plan to join forces in a 4.7bn dollar deal that aims to feed the world's most populous country. China's Shuanghui International has agreed to pay cash for the Virginia-based Smithfield Foods, which including debt, values the firm at 7.1bn.

• Friday, May 31st 2013 - 07:34 UTC

  Vice-president Biden praises and challenges Brazil; meets Rousseff on Friday

  

  U.S. Vice President Joe Biden encouraged Brazil to open its economy further to keep up with free trade trends worldwide during a visit aimed at boosting business between the two largest economies in the Americas.