
Ecuador's Congress voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to grant President Rafael Correa a month-long leave of absence while he campaigns to be the first Ecuadorean leader in more than a century to hold the presidency for more than a single term.

The Argentine government sent a request for the Federal Civil and Commercial Court to re-open the justice system in January, a month in which it is normally on holiday, in order to resolve two key articles regarding the controversial Media law.

The Falkland Islands, lying about 560km off the mainland of South America, comprise two large islands, East and West Falkland, and a swarm of other islands ranging from substantial ones off the western edge of West Falkland to smaller islets and reefs scattered all along the coasts.

The Falkland Islands are an British Overseas Territory by choice, entirely self-governing except for defence and foreign affairs and have been settled for at least nine generations, well before Argentina even claimed what is today Tierra del Fuego, points out the Falklands’ elected government in a release-reply to the open letter from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez published on Thursday in the British press.

Six British and Australian adventurers are setting off to recreate one of the greatest journeys of human survival. In 1914, Ernest Shackleton, the seasoned British explorer, set out to better Scott and Amundsen by attempting the first-ever crossing of the Antarctic.

President Jose Mujica anticipated that the Argentine economy can’t remain ‘closed for much more time’ (protectionist) and forecasted that 2013 will be a ‘clear year’ for Uruguay regarding economic issues.

Prime Minister David Cameron must return the Falkland Islands to Argentina, 180 years after the territories were “forcibly stripped” from Buenos Aires, President Cristina Fernandez has claimed in UK newspaper adverts scheduled to be published on Thursday and which has been anticipated.

Economists cut their estimates for economic growth in Brazil to 0.98% this year, a central bank survey showed, highlighting the sharp slowdown of an economy that just a couple of years ago was an emerging market star.

The Organization of American States (OAS) has begun the process of analyzing a new group of countries - Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, Uruguay, and Venezuela - as part of the Fourth Round of the Mechanism for Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC) of the OAS.

Foreign investors put more money into Spain in October than they took out, marking the second month running the country has benefited from an influx of capital. Spain registered capital inflow of 12.1 billion Euros in October, the Bank of Spain said on Friday. The figure, which excludes central bank operations, was lower than the 31 billion Euros of inflow in September.