MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Amnesty International condemns police violence at World Cup opening protests in Mexico City]]> Mexico City's government deployed more than 10,000 officers around the stadium and hotel corridors Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday condemned the violence by security forces during the large protests in southern Mexico City surrounding the opening of the 2026 World Cup, in which police used fire extinguishers to disperse demonstrators. The organization demanded respect for and protection of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and protest.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:03:00 GMT <![CDATA[Cuba accuses Rubio of tightening the US economic and energy blockade after Cupet sanction]]> Rubio accused the Cuban government of using energy “as a weapon” and of diverting resources to enrich itself, a claim that, according to news agencies, he did not back with evidence. Cuba's government on Thursday accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of "further reinforcing" the economic and energy siege against the island, after Washington sanctioned the state company Unión Cuba-Petróleo (Cupet), which handles crude extraction, refining and production. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez charged that Rubio resorts to "usual vulgar lies" to justify the measure.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:46:00 GMT <![CDATA[Fujimori edges ahead of Sánchez in Peru as expat ballots flip a razor-thin count]]> Fujimori reappeared at the door of her home to ask Sánchez to keep his commitment to respect the final result Conservative Keiko Fujimori reclaimed first place on Wednesday night in Peru's presidential runoff, in a count being decided vote by vote that took a decisive turn with the arrival of ballots from Peruvians abroad. With 98.2% of the tally sheets processed by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Fujimori reached 50.002% against 49.999% for leftist Roberto Sánchez, a difference of fewer than a thousand votes. If the trend holds, the Fuerza Popular leader could become the country's first woman elected president at the polls.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:04:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil's lower-house committee approves lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 16]]> The initiative resurfaces in an election year, with general elections in October. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opposes the measure, while the right is championing it The Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ) of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approved on Wednesday, by 44 votes to 18, the constitutional amendment proposal seeking to reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16. The approval, however, is only the first step in a long process before the measure could become law.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:32:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentina's Adorni declares $513,000 in Bitcoin to explain his wealth amid an enrichment case]]> According to the reconstruction presented by the Cabinet Office, the cryptocurrency investments were made between 2013 and 2018 through eight virtual wallets Argentina's Cabinet Chief, Manuel Adorni, filed a series of rectified sworn declarations on Wednesday night before the Anti-Corruption Office and the Revenue and Customs Control Agency (ARCA) that substantially modify his assets and those of his wife, Bettina Angeletti. The main new element is the inclusion of about $513,000 attributed to Bitcoin investments, in a filing that comes as he faces a judicial investigation for alleged illicit enrichment.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:13:00 GMT <![CDATA[US and Iran trade fire for a second night as Tehran says it has closed Hormuz]]> Iran's General Staff declared Hormuz “closed” to all traffic and warned it would fire on any vessel, while the United States maintained that transit continues The United States and Iran traded fire for a second consecutive night, in what amounts to a more dangerous phase of the war in the Persian Gulf and raises the prospect of a return to open hostilities. As US forces again struck Iranian targets, the Revolutionary Guard said it had hit bases with a US presence in the region, and Iran's General Staff announced the "absolute" closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump threatened new strikes on Thursday if Tehran does not accept his conditions for peace.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 08:12:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentina: A year after Kirchner's final conviction, a possible pardon splits Peronism before 2027]]> Part of Peronism considers a pardon for the leader who has most polarized Argentine society over the past two decades could mobilize anti-Kirchnerist voters A year has passed since Argentina's Supreme Court made final the corruption conviction against former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner —six years in prison and a lifetime political ban— and the possibility of pardoning her if Peronism returns to power is dividing the movement, as it searches for a candidate for the late-2027 presidential elections. Kirchner is under house arrest in a Buenos Aires apartment, in the Constitución neighborhood, where her supporters will again gather on Wednesday to demand her release.

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:51:00 GMT <![CDATA[US launches strikes against Iran in retaliation for the downing of an Apache helicopter]]> The strikes come amid a week of heightened regional tension The United States launched a series of strikes against Iran on Tuesday in retaliation for the downing of a US Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, Central Command (Centcom) said. The action marks a sharp escalation that deepens doubts over the ceasefire in place since April 8 and over the peace negotiations that President Donald Trump says are within reach.

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:52:00 GMT <![CDATA[EU mission praises transparency in Peru's runoff but criticizes the slow count]]> The mission nonetheless noted delays of up to an hour in the opening of polling tables in Lima, mainly due to the absence of their members The European Union (EU) election observation mission in Peru highlighted the order and transparency of Sunday's presidential runoff, though it criticized the slowness in proclaiming the results and warned of episodes of racism and discrimination during the campaign. The head of the mission, Italian MEP Annalisa Corrado, asked Peruvians to wait patiently, at a time when, with about 96% of the count completed, conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez remain in a technical tie.

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:58:00 GMT <![CDATA[FIG appoints Steve Dent as new Director of Development & Commercial Services]]> Steve is currently a director of FIMCo and Stanley Growers, and was formerly on the board of the Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce. The Falkland Islands Government has announced the appointment of Steve Dent as the next Director of Development & Commercial Services. Steve joined FIG in 2023, and for the last three years has been Deputy Director of DCS, with direct line-management responsibility for a number of key FIG sections as well as commercial contracts within the directorate’s remit.

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