Chavez tour piques US interest

By Greg Morsbach for BBC News Caracas:

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is currently on a world tour that is likely to widen the rift with the United States - but may win him further support for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He arrived in Belarus on Sunday, from where he will continue to Russia, Qatar, Iran, Vietnam and Mali.
Mr Chavez is due to return to Venezuela on 2 August after nearly two weeks on the road. What will interest diplomats at the US state department most is President Chavez's visits to Moscow and Tehran. He is hoping to sign an arms deal with President Vladimir Putin worth around $1bn (£542m), including 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter bomber aircraft and 30 Russian helicopters.