United States

• Friday, July 12th 2013 - 07:58 UTC

  World markets climb to new highs after US Fed confirms current stimulus policy

  

  US shares closed at record levels after the Federal Reserve indicated that its efforts to boost the economy would continue for now. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1.1% higher at 15,460.92 and the broader S&P 500 added 1.3% to end at a new peak of 1,675.02. Both measures surpassed previous record highs hit in late May. The Nasdaq ended at its highest close since October 2000.

• Thursday, July 11th 2013 - 07:14 UTC

  After twenty years of negotiations US opens its market to Uruguayan citrus

  

  After almost twenty years of negotiations United States confirmed the opening of its market to citrus from Uruguay, which will become effective next 9 August when certain coordination and logistics tasks are coordinated by both countries.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:34 UTC

  Strong letter to Cristina Fernandez for blocking AMIA case prosecutor from testifying before US congress

  

  The United States Congress sent a strong letter to Argentine president Cristina Fernandez expressing ‘disappointment’ and ‘deep concern’ over the government’s decision to deny General Prosecutor of the AMIA Case, Alberto Nisman, the opportunity to testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security’.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:30 UTC

  Venezuela confirms Snowden asylum application: he has to decide when

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his government has received an asylum application from US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden and the fugitive must now decide if he wants to fly to Caracas.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:26 UTC

  Bolivia wants EU ambassadors to reveal who said Snowden was aboard Morales plane

  

  Bolivia demanded France, Portugal, Spain and Italy reveal who told them that former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was aboard President Evo Morales' flight from Moscow last week.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:23 UTC

  State Department confirms dialogue with Brazil on the alleged intelligence activity

  

  The US State Department spokesperson during the daily briefing declined to comment on the alleged intelligence activity in Brazil but admitted dialogue with the Brazilians through normal diplomatic channels, but those conversations ‘of course we would keep private’.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 06:17 UTC

  Brazil investigating if telecom companies cooperated with the US spying program

  

  Brazil began an investigation Monday into whether telecommunications firms operating in the country cooperated with the U.S. as part of a spying program that has collected data on billions of telephone and email conversations. Anatel, the government agency that regulates the telecom sector in Brazil, said in a note that it's working with federal police and other government agencies on the investigation.

• Tuesday, July 9th 2013 - 00:01 UTC

  Brazilian Congress wants to question ambassador about US surveillance in the country

  

  Lawmakers in Brazil said Monday they want to question Washington's ambassador here about revelations that the United States has collected and stored the e-mail and telephone records of millions of Brazilians.

• Monday, July 8th 2013 - 04:13 UTC

  Brazil demands an explanation from the US regarding electronic surveillance of its citizens and companies

  

  Brazil will demand an explanation from the United States over reports its citizens' electronic communications have been under surveillance by US spy agencies for at least a decade, foreign minister Antonio Patriota said on Sunday.

• Saturday, July 6th 2013 - 07:16 UTC

  Venezuela and Nicaragua prepared to offer ‘humanitarian asylum’ to Snowden

  

  Presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela said Friday they were willing to grant asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The NSA whistleblower has asked for asylum in several countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela.