
Two nephews of Venezuela's first lady have been arrested in Haiti and taken to the US to face drug trafficking charges, US media reports say. Franqui Francisco Flores-de Freitas and Efrain Antonio Campo-Flores are accused of conspiring to smuggle 800kg of cocaine into the United States.

Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday formally laid out Britain’s conditions for remaining in the European Union, seeking changes in his country’s relationship with Brussels that he is betting are substantial enough to win over a majority of British voters but modest enough for the rest of Europe to swallow.

The Uruguayan government is hopeful that with president Cristina Fernandez no longer at the helm of Argentina, as of 10 December, a more flexible attitude can be expected from the newly elected authorities, particularly regarding Uruguay's intention of signing trade agreements with third parties, if Mercosur is not interested in such commitment.

Argentina's agro-business shares are booming in the Buenos Aires stock exchange since 26 October, following the first round of the presidential election, and expectations are even greater on the promises from the two candidates that will be disputing the runoff on 22 November.

After almost two years of negotiations and endless speculations surrounding the question of what fighter jet Argentina would go for, Argentine media report that a decision has been made to purchase the IAI Kfir jets to replace the Air Force’s Mirages. According to the report, in Interdefensa Militar Argentina, the decision is currently awaiting final approval from the Cabinet.

Catalan government’s partner in the secessionist drive, the small anti-capitalist CUP party, on Tuesday confirmed that its preferred candidate to head the region following the September 27 election is not acting premier Artur Mas.

Argentina's supreme court has ordered state-controlled YPF to publicly release all clauses of a 2013 contract with Chevron to develop shale oil in the country's vast Vaca Muerta formation. In a 3-1 ruling, the justices sided with opposition Socialist Senator Hector Ruben Giustiniani, ruling that the state's 51% stake in the firm effectively makes it a public company subject to transparency laws.

Helmut Schmidt, who served as West German Chancellor from 1974 to 1982, has died aged 96, his office says. Mr. Schmidt, who was a Social Democrat, was an architect of the European Monetary System, which linked EU currencies and helped pave the way to the euro. He also helped to consolidate Germany's post-war economic boom.

A new study by naming expert Laura Wattenberg has found that Sophia, and its variants including Sofia, is the most popular baby name in the world. Wattenberg collected name statistics from 49 countries, and Sophia, which means “wisdom” topped lists in nine countries, including Italy, Slovakia, Russia and Mexico.

The Falkland Islands will be attending the fourth meeting of the British Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) will be held in London on 1 - 2 December at Lancaster House, which will be hosted by FCO Minister for the Overseas Territories James Duddridge MP.