
The new Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands has been announced, following the General Election which concluded on Thursday 7th November.

The Mercosur summit scheduled for December in Venezuela has been suspended and will most probably take place sometime in late January announced Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who on Friday cancelled a trip to Brasilia to meet with his peer Dilma Rousseff.

Venezuela's consumer prices rose 5.1% in October, pushing the 12-month inflation rate to 54.3%, the highest mark since the late President Hugo Chávez took power in 1999. The news was released by the central bank on Thursday which also revealed that the scarcity index had reached its highest level since 2009.

Without banners, rowdiness or the chanting of political slogans, a good number of Falkland Islanders sat patiently in Stanley Town Hall on Thursday night to await the announcement of the 2013 General Election.

Uruguayan president Jose Mujica is fed up with problems with Argentina but must abandon the 'presidential diplomacy' and turn to 'professional diplomacy' because President Cristina Fernandez will not modify her conduct, warned one of Argentina's most respected political analysts, Rosendo Fraga.

Fears about disruption to next year's World Cup have been raised after the key global football conference Soccerex was cancelled for disputed reasons. Soccerex organizers said Rio de Janeiro's state government had called off next month's event due to concerns about ongoing civil unrest in Brazil.

A surprise rate cut by the European Central Bank sent Euro zone shares to a five-year high on Thursday as traders bet a weaker Euro and easier lending conditions would help revive the region's economy and boost demand for stocks.

Mercosur negotiations, disputes with Argentina and economic complementation with Brazil are among the main issues of a long agenda that Uruguay and Brazil will address when President Jose Mujica visits his Brazilian peer Dilma Rousseff on Friday in Brasilia.

“We are encouraged to see the natural progression of the Falklands tourist board on a path to worldwide recognition”, said Managing Director Tony Mason who announced plans for the establishment of an Islands' tourist board branch in London.

Britain's Ministry has plans to commission three new ocean-going offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy. The new ships will be built by BAE Systems at their shipyards on the Clyde in a deal that will sustain jobs in the UK’s warship-building industry, and will play a key role in counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations.