US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly denied that the Trump administration helped former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro flee prosecution in Brazil.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reelected president of Brazil, narrowly beating Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in a runoff vote.
Brazil picks its next president on Sunday in a runoff between 80-year-old incumbent Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is allied with US President Trump.
An analysis published this week links three unrelated stories: an oil-price shock hitting Latin American budgets, ten African countries qualifying for next year's World Cup, and Western firms like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin winning huge new weapons contracts.
The United States is considering sanctions against a sitting judge on Brazil's Supreme Court, according to a Financial Times report picked up within the same hour by Reuters and other news outlets.
An earthquake in Colombia has killed at least 180 people, and rescue teams are searching collapsed buildings for survivors still trapped in the rubble.
The interest rate the US government pays on 30-year debt has hit its highest level since 2007, as investors worry about US debt levels.