Chavez says 'smell of sulphur' has left the UN

The Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, has told the United Nations General Assembly that its podium smelled more of hope than of sulphur, now that there was a new administration in Washington.

His speech before the General Assembly was his first since his appearance there in 2006 when he derided President Bush as the devil.

Mr Chavez said that with President Barack Obama in office, there was now a palpable new air of hope.