Ecuador

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange freed from London prison, flown out of UK

Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, who has been fighting against his extradition to the US on espionage charges for over a decade, has been freed from prison and flown out of the UK under a plea deal with the American authorities. The 52-year-old Australian national was lodged at Belmarsh high-security prison in London since 2019 when he was taken into custody from the Ecuadorian Embassy, where he had sought asylum. It was revealed overnight on Monday that he has been freed. Assange will return to Australia, UK media reports said, citing a letter from the US Justice Department. He was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. In return for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, the activist will be sentenced to time served, 62 months time already spent in a British prison, according to court documents. After a judge formally accepts this plea, Assange will be free to return to Australia, w

Entire nation of Ecuador went dark after a series of energy errors

The entire nation of Ecuador lost power for hours this week, exposing the depth of an energy crisis

Outage in Ecuador leaves millions in dark after transmission line fails

A failure in an energy transmission line on Wednesday produced an unexpected blackout throughout Ecuador, the government said, days after announcing that there would be power outages in the country due to production problems. Ecuador's Minister of Energy Roberto Luque said in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the failure was reported by the country's National Electricity Operator and caused "a cascade disconnection", leaving the nation without energy service. He added that efforts are being made to solve the problem and repair faulty power lines as soon as possible. In some sectors of the country the outage lasted 20 minutes, but media outlets and social media users reported that the problem continued in most cities. Emilia Cevallos, a waitress in a restaurant north of the capital, Quito, said the blackout was surprising. "We thought it was only in this sector, but when we left we realised that while some stores had connected generators, the majority did not have ...

Mexico severs ties with Ecuador after cops arrest politician from embassy

Mexico's government severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police broke into the Mexican Embassy to arrest a former Ecuadorian vice president, an extraordinary use of force that shocked and mystified regional leaders and diplomats. Ecuadorian police late Friday broke through the external doors of the embassy in the capital, Quito, to arrest Jorge Glas, who had been residing there since December. Glas sought political asylum at the embassy after being indicted on corruption charges. The raid prompted Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to announce the breaking off of diplomatic relations with Ecuador on Friday evening, while his government's foreign relations secretary said the move will be challenged at the World Court in The Hague. This is not possible. It cannot be. This is crazy, Roberto Canseco, head of the Mexican consular section in Quito, told local press while standing outside the embassy right after the raid. I am very worried because they could kill him. The

Gunmen in Ecuador kill 8, injure 8 others in attack on Guayaquil city

Armed gunmen attacked a group of people in Ecuador 's coastal city of Guayaquil killing eight people and injuring eight others, the Interior Ministry said, the latest in a string of violent incidents in the South American country. At around 7 pm local time on Saturday, armed men arrived in a vehicle in the southern neighbourhood of Guasmo, witnesses said. They shot at a group of people, killing two of them. Six others later died in a health center due to the seriousness of the wounds, the ministry told journalists. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. It was the second mass killing in as many days. On Friday, five people who had been kidnapped were killed execution style in the coastal province of Manabi by an armed gang. Police said there were signs the victims were tourists mistakenly caught up in a local drug-trafficking dispute. They didn't elaborate. In that incident, an armed group had kidnapped a total of 11 people. Police said the other six, including

Cabinet approves memoranda on health products with Netherlands, Ecuador

The Union Cabinet Thursday approved separate memorandum with the Netherlands, Dominican Republic and Ecuador on cooperation in the field of medical products regulation, an official statement said. The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of the three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) which were signed between the Health Ministry's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the respective regulatory authorities of the three countries. The MoU between the CDSCO and the Directorate General for Medicine, Foods and Sanitary Products Organizations of Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistant of Dominican Republic was signed on October 4 last year. Issues of substandard and falsified medicines moving in the international markets, and interaction amongst regulatory agencies are facilitated through the MoU, it stated. Convergence in the regulatory practices could help increasing export of medicines from India and consequentially create employment ...

Criminal uprising in Ecuador threatens to derail Noboa's comeback plan

At least 10 people, including two law enforcement officers, have been killed, AFP reported citing local and national police, while authorities were still struggling to regain control on Tuesday

Ecuadorians reject oil drilling in the Amazon, ending ops in protected area

Ecuadorians voted against drilling for oil in a protected area of the Amazon, an important decision that will require the state oil company to end its operations in a region that's home to two uncontacted tribes and is a hotspot of biodiversity. Yasuni National Park is inhabited by the Tagaeri and Taromenani, who live in self-isolation. In 1989, it was designated a world biosphere reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO. Encompassing a surface area of over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres), it boasts 610 species of birds, 139 species of amphibians, and 121 species of reptiles. At least three species are endemic. With over 90 per cent of the ballots counted by early Monday, around six in 10 Ecuadorians rejected the oil exploration in Block 43, situated within Yasuni. The outcome represents a significant blow to Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, who advocated for oil drilling, asserting that its revenues are cruci

Ecuador: Shooting occurs near prez election candidate Otto Sonnenholzner

Otto Sonnenholzner said he was having breakfast with his wife and daughters at a restaurant when the violence erupted

Ecuador arrests 6 in prez candidate Villavicencio assassination case

The six men arrested as suspects in the assassination of an anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate are Colombian nationals, a police report said Thursday as authorities investigated the motive for a crime that shocked a nation already reeling from a surge in drug-related violence. The six men were captured hiding in a house in Quito, Ecuador's capital, said the report, which was reviewed by The Associated Press. Officers also seized four shotguns, a 5.56-mm rifle, ammunition and three grenades, along with a vehicle and a motorcycle, it said. Fernando Villavicencio, 59, who was known for speaking up against drug cartels, was assassinated in Quito on Wednesday, less than two weeks before a special presidential election. He was not a front-runner, but his death deepened the sense of crisis around organised crime that has already claimed thousands of lives and underscored the challenge that Ecuador's next leader will face. Ecuador's interior minister, Juan Zapata, had earlier

Ecuadorean presidential candidate Villavicencio shot dead in Quito at event

A suspect in the killing was wounded in an exchange of fire with security officials and later died

Anti-corruption Ecuadorian presidential candidate assassinated

Ecuadorean presidential candidate Villavicencio shot dead in Quito at event

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed on Wednesday by an unidentified gunman while at a political rally in the country's capital of Quito, President Guillermo Lasso said. The killing comes amid a startling wave of violence in the South American nation, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise. I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished, Lasso said in a statement. Organized crime has gone too far, but they will feel the full weight of the law. Videos on social media appear to show the candidate walking out of the event surrounded by guards. The video then shows Villavicencio entering a white truck followed by gunfire. The politician, 59, was the candidate for the Build Ecuador Movement. He was one of eight presidential candidates for the late August election. He was one of the most critical voices against corruption, especially during the government of former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2017. He filed many judic

Strong earthquake of 6.8 magnitude kills at least 13 in Ecuador, 1 in Peru

A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines. The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a magnitude of about 6.8 that was centred just off the Pacific Coast, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) south of Guayaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city. One of the victims died in Peru, while 13 others died in Ecuador, where authorities also reported that at least 126 people were injured. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso told reporters the earthquake had "without a doubt ... generated alarm in the population." Lasso's office in a statement said 11 of the victims died in the coastal state of El Oro and two in the highlands state of Azuay. In Peru, the earthquake was felt from its northern border with Ecuador to the central Pacific coast. Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otrola said a 4-year-old girl died from hea

US looking to strengthen relationship with Ecuador, says US President Biden

With Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso by his side, President Joe Biden said the US is looking to expand and strengthen the US relationship with one of its staunchest allies in South America and a country that is getting plenty of attention from China. Lasso's visit to Washington comes as his tiny nation is on the verge of completing a trade agreement with China, the United States' strongest economic competitor. China this year surpassed the United States as Ecuador's top trading partner on non-petroleum goods. The already fragile economy in oil-exporting Ecuador was battered by the coronavirus outbreak. One of Lasso's top priorities when he took office last year was to sign a free trade agreement with the United States. Ecuador wants to join Colombia and Chile as the only other countries in South America to enjoy such privileged status. But Biden, in the first two years of his presidency, has shied away from entering new trade pacts as he's focused on first settling a U.S. econo

Fifa World Cup: Koulibaly sends Senegal to Round of 16, Dutch through too

Fifa World Cup 2022 Qatar, Live Updates: In the last round of group games, to make sure that no team has an undue advantage over the other, all matches of one group are played at the same time

Ecuador volcano registers new activity with gas emissions, ash fall

Gas and water vapour emissions, a low level of ash and an increase in seismic activity were recordedat the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador, according to officials

Fifa World Cup Day 6: Ecuador, US impress in draws; Senegal, Iran in wins

Fifa World Cup Qatar Day 6 Highlights: Iran and Senegal won impressively against Wales and Qatar respectively while US and Ecuador forced draws from their fencied opponents England and the Netherlands

FIFA charges Ecuador over fan chants at World Cup opener in Qatar

Discriminatory chants allegedly by Ecuador fans at the World Cup opening game led FIFA to open the first disciplinary case of the tournament on Tuesday. FIFA said the charge was brought "due to chants" at the game against Qatar on Sunday and cited the section of its disciplinary code dealing with discrimination. The chants were reportedly directed at Chile, which brought a legal case ahead of the World Cup to try to take Ecuador's place. FIFA gave no timetable for dealing with the case against the Ecuadorian soccer federation, which is held responsible for fan behavior at games. Ecuador fans also drew global attention to their chants in Spanish of "we want beer" during the team's 2-0 win at Al Bayt Stadium. It was a reference to FIFA and Qatari organizers banning the sale of beer with alcohol at stadiums.

Fifa World Cup 2022: Jio Cinema app leaves football fans fuming in India

Be it the opening ceremony or the Qatar vs Ecuador match, Indian users complained that the online video streaming of the Fifa World Cup 2022 kept buffering on the Jio Cinema app