[03:42.42]The International Olympic Committee has elected a new President, the German lawyer and IOC Vice President, Thomas Bach.

[03:50.17]His election as ninth President of the IOC was announced by the outgoing President, Jacques Rogge.

[03:56.19]From Buenos Aires Alex Capstick reports.

[03:58.74]Thomas Bach has been considered the frontrunner in the six man race so it was no surprise when he was elected in a secret ballot.

[04:05.40]His selection continues the preference for Europeans, eight of the nine IOC presidents have hailed from the continent.

[04:11.36]He's compiled an impressive dossier: he was an Olympic champion of fencing in 1976 and since joining the IOC has been a long serving member of the policy-making executive board.

[04:21.79]There were no radical ideas in his manifesto; but he will face challenges, the most immediate is the Sochi Olympics and the controversy surrounding Russia's anti-gay legislation.

[04:31.11]An Italian priest has given Pope Francis a 20-year-old car to drive himself around Vatican city.

[04:37.29]The priest said he was surprised to receive a telephone call from the Pope accepting his written offer.

[04:42.59]Pope Francis has already used the car, a Renault 4 with 300,000km on the clock.

[04:48.26]Earlier he called for disused convents to be used to house asylum seekers rather than be turned into luxury hotels to make money for the Roman Catholic Church.