Lonesome George, thought to be the last individual of his species, was known as the rarest creature in the world during his final years.

In a speech to investors, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno said women only tend to complain about sexual harassment when it comes from ugly people.

The islands are home to a "melting pot" of marine species, with everything from giant tortoises to sea lions to mockingbirds and finches. 

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is also battling record levels of violence, which has caused more friction with the Trump administration.

The signing of the decree is a blow to Moreno, and leaves big questions about the oil-producing nation's fiscal situation.

The protests have paralyzed Ecuador's economy and cut off more than half of the country's production of oil, Ecuador's most important export.

The highland capital of Quito was rocked by a 10th day of clashes over Moreno's austerity plan, with the office of Ecuador's comptroller set on fire and access roads to Quito's airport blocked.

Protests reached a climax when demonstrators rampaged through police barriers into the country's empty congress building and were repelled by tear gas fired by police.

Ecuadoreans complain consumer prices have risen sharply as a knock-on effect of Moreno's abolition of fuel subsidies, which has also triggered the nation's worst unrest in more than a decade.

The Swedish move would leave British authorities to decide whether to extradite Assange to Sweden or to the United States