United States

• Friday, January 13th 2012 - 22:37 UTC

  Brazil's orange juice threatened by the discovery of the fungicide carbendazim

  

  Orange-juice futures rebounded from the biggest two-day slump since 2008 on renewed concern that a US government probe of imports from Brazil will tighten supplies. The Food and Drug Administration said it will detain all imports that contain carbendazim, a fungicide that isn’t approved for oranges in the US.

• Friday, January 13th 2012 - 21:13 UTC

  Several groups interested in taking over bankrupt American Airlines

  

  US Airways Group, Delta Airlines and private equity firm TPG Capital are among several parties interested in potential bids for AMR Corp, the bankrupt parent of American Airlines according to US financial media reports.

• Friday, January 13th 2012 - 19:51 UTC

  Obama asks Congress for a 1.2 trillion dollars increase in US debt limit

  

  US President Barack Obama formally notified Congress that he plans a 1.2 trillion dollars increase in the US debt limit, setting the stage for Republicans to level election-year charges that deficits are out of control.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 04:16 UTC

  US: Romney consolidates as Republican presidential front-runner

  

  Mitt Romney cemented his status as the Republican presidential front-runner on Tuesday with a win in the New Hampshire primary that left rivals fighting for a chance to derail his march to the nomination as the race moves south.

• Thursday, January 12th 2012 - 04:13 UTC

  Federal Reserve ‘Beige Book’ confirms US economy modest expansion

  

  The US Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that all but one of its 12 banking districts experienced modest expansion from late November through the end of the year. The survey known as the Beige Book showed that the final weeks of 2011 were among the strongest.

• Tuesday, January 10th 2012 - 05:56 UTC

  Ortega inaugurates consecutive mandate; opposition fear he could follow Chavez example

  

  Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega takes office for a third time on Tuesday with an ample majority in Congress and in the presence of close allies such as Iran’s Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.

• Tuesday, January 10th 2012 - 05:53 UTC

  Chavez and Ahmadinejad mock 'US imperialism' and joke about having an atomic bomb

  

  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chávez lavished each other with praise on Monday, mocked US disapproval and joked about having an atomic bomb at their disposal.

• Tuesday, January 10th 2012 - 05:51 UTC

  With October election in mind Chavez back on the air with “Alo Presidente” program

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez resumed on Sunday his weekly television and radio broadcast after a seven-month pause. Chavez's program, Alo Presidente, had been halted while he was receiving treatment for cancer.

• Monday, January 9th 2012 - 06:51 UTC

  Iran’s Ahmadinejad begins Latam tour in Venezuela: meeting with Chavez

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will welcome his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday on his first stop of a five-nation tour of Latin America, state media reported.

• Sunday, January 8th 2012 - 05:22 UTC

  Chavez names Defence minister Army officer described by the US as a “drug kingpin”

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez named as Defence minister General Henry Rangel Silva, who the United States has described as a “drug kingpin” linked to cocaine smuggling from neighbouring Colombia.