MEXICO

Mexico is canceling classes for millions of children in the heart of the country on Friday after influenza killed around 20 people in recent weeks.

General Motors Corp said on Thursday it would slash production over the next three months to cut its inventory of cars and trucks and avoid the risk of an uncontrolled shutdown from the financial crisis at bankrupt supplier Delphi Corp .

The IMF said Tuesday the global economy recession is likely go deeper and will have a slow recovery to stabilization.

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its full-year earnings forecast on Wednesday, helped by price increases and cost cuts.

Major Chinese auto group Chongqing Changan Auto Co is planning acquisitions overseas as it prepares to enter Europe and North America where the industry downturn has hit hard, its chairman said on Sunday.

Leaders from across the Americas gathered on Friday for a summit overshadowed by an intense debate over a possible reconciliation between the United States and Cuba and how this could be achieved.

Leaders from across the Americas gathered for a summit on Friday after the United States and Cuba said they were ready to talk to try to end a conflict that has marked the hemisphere for half a century.

U.S. President Barack Obama meets his counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean on Friday, offering practical cooperation over the ideological differences that have strained U.S. ties with the region.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon will collaborate in the US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change, a new association to promote renewable energy and lower carbon output, the White House announced Thursday night.

President Barack Obama opened the door on Thursday to more changes in U.S.-Cuba policy, but based them on Cuban reciprocation that analysts said may be difficult to get.

President Obama unveiled a plan Thursday on a system of high-speed railway service, hoping to stimulate the economy and help the environment.

In his second big trip abroad since becoming U.S. president, Barack Obama pledged strong support on Thursday for the Mexican government's fight against powerful drug cartels, who are waging turf wars along the border.

The Obama administration on Wednesday named a former U.S. Justice Department official who was border czar during Bill Clinton's presidency to lead its efforts to crack down on drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexican border.

About a dozen people died in a shootout in Mexico between soldiers and suspected drug traffickers ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the drug war, Mexican media reported on Thursday.

In his second big trip abroad since becoming U.S. president, Barack Obama arrives in Mexico on Thursday to show support for the Mexican government's efforts to fight a devastating drug war and boost security along the U.S. border.

Latin American leaders and executives urged governments in the region on Wednesday to stop erecting trade barriers, saying the financial crisis was a chance to tackle problems that have long hindered the region's competitiveness.

Many economists expect the U.S. recession to end in the second half of this year, but companies catering to consumers showed on Wednesday that the prolonged downturn and rising unemployment are taking a toll on business in the near term.

The Obama administration will name former Justice Department official Alan Bersin to oversee its policy on illegal immigration and drug-related violence along the U.S. border with Mexico, Politico reported on Tuesday.

Burger King Holdings Inc said on Wednesday it saw a surprise drop in customer visits to its restaurants in March and its shares plunged more than 16 percent.

The U.N. Security Council will meet on Monday to approve a statement condemning North Korea's rocket launch and demanding enforcement of existing sanctions against Pyongyang, a Mexican diplomat said.

President Barack Obama will try to establish a cooperative new relationship with Latin America this week, but U.S. resistance to change on highly symbolic issues like Cuba and immigration could undercut the effort, analysts said.