Saddled on eight years of Mauricio Macri as mayor of the city of Buenos Aires, his handpicked successor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, won on Sunday Argentina's capital mayoral election, but not with the sufficient margin to avoid a run-off vote later this month. The winner needed to break the 50% mark in order to avoid the second round, which will take place July 19.
The governorship of Argentina' second largest electoral district, Córdoba province was won on Sunday by Juan Schiaretti, beating all other parties and coalitions with national representation, including the Victory Front of president Cristina Fernandez.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee approved the inscription of four cultural sites on the World Heritage List: Fray Bentos Cultural-Industrial Landscape in Uruguay; Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining in Japan, Ephesus in Turkey and Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System in Mexico. The Committee also approved the extension of Spain’s Routes of Santiago de Compostela with the addition of the “Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain”.
Greeks packed city squares for dueling rallies late into the night Friday, as polls showed a dead heat between the 'yes' and 'no' camps ahead of a bailout referendum Sunday that could be Greece's most important vote since it joined the European Union.
Thousands of people turned out for protest marches across Ecuador on Thursday to call for the ouster of President Rafael Correa just three days before a visit by Pope Francis. Full demonstrations were reported in the three biggest cities, Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, as well as other smaller cities. Correa claimed a 'coup' was on the making.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández will have a meeting with Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s visit to Paraguay, official sources have confirmed. The Argentine leader will travel to Asunción between July 11 and 13 for her sixth encounter with Francis, who will be ending his South American tour during those dates. The Pope will visit Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, beginning Sunday.
The ITUC has called on FC Barcelona “socios” (voting members) and fans to end the club’s Qatar Airways sponsorship, saying that the airline is the very worst sponsor for a club with a 100-year tradition of democracy and universality.
President Cristina Fernandez publicly congratulated on Friday Walter Vuoto the young elected mayor of Ushuaia, capital of Argentina's most austral province, who together with elected governor Rosana Bertone recovered Tierra del Fuego for the ruling Victory Front, a surprise victory which turns that territory and capital in Kirchnerite strongholds.
Falklands born, Argentine citizen Alejandro Betts rejected statements published in Clarin which described his 'Malvinas veteran' pension as 'controversial' and admitted he was surprised, when not startled by the headline display the news was given by the Buenos Aires daily in reference to his activity during the 1982 South Atlantic conflict.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff capped off her U.S. tour on Wednesday with a visit to Silicon Valley, where she met with top technology executives and took a ride in Google Inc's self-driving car. Rousseff used her visit to strengthen ties with U.S. technology companies after visiting Washington, D.C. and New York City earlier in the week.