Daily Headlines: January 8, 2013

* South America: For the fourth straight year Argentine striker Lionel Messi received the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best soccer player and he also joined fellow South Americans Marcelo, Dani Alves and Radamel Falcao to the World XI All-Star team.

* Bolivia: Bolivian officials claimed to have “irrefutable evidence” proving that the U.S. embassy in La Paz is plotting to “damage the image and prestige” of President Evo Morales.

* Venezuela: Rescuers continue to search for a plane that disappeared off the Venezuelan coast carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni and five other people.
 
* Argentina: The Argentine foreign ministry blasted British Prime Minister David Cameron over alleged “military threats” made regarding the disputed Falklands.
 
Video Source – YouTube via user HeilRJ03 (Lionel Messi scored 91 goals in all competitions in 2012, which is reportedly a world record).

Online Sources- ESPN Soccernet, AFP, The Telegraph, Euronews