Stories for May 2012

Monday, May 7th 2012 - 04:52 UTC
Greek seism rejects ‘bail-out’ parties and sends shockwaves to the EU

Greece's two governing parties, which back tough austerity measures, have lost their parliamentary majority in Sunday's election. With almost all votes counted, centre-right New Democracy is leading with 19%, down from 33.5% in 2009.
Monday, May 7th 2012 - 04:33 UTC
Hollande first scheduled meeting with Merkel in Berlin to address austerity and growth

A victorious Francois Hollande faces a short honeymoon after his election as France's first Socialist president in 17 years, with financial markets eager for clear signals on his policies and how hard he plans to push back against German-led austerity.
Monday, May 7th 2012 - 04:24 UTC
Obama launches re-election bid; attacks Romney for promising “to cut taxes for the rich”

President Barack Obama plunged into his campaign for a new term and tore into rival Mitt Romney on Saturday for being willing and eager to “rubber stamp” a conservative Republican congressional agenda to cut taxes for the rich while slashing spending on programs that benefit an embattled middle class.
Monday, May 7th 2012 - 04:11 UTC
Timerman tells Hammond world is safer with creativity than “bombing civilians”

Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman replied to recent demands of an apology made by UK Defence Minister Phillip Hammond over a controversial Olympic advert shot in the Falkland Islands, and urged London to “honour the deaths of those who died in the 1982 conflict by constructing peace.”
Monday, May 7th 2012 - 04:02 UTC
Y&R says the controversial (Malvinas/Olympics) advert “belongs to the client”

The creative managing director of Young & Rubicam Buenos Aires said that is spite of the request from the central office in New York it can’t force the Argentine government to withdraw the controversial advert linking the Falklands/Malvinas claim with the coming Olympic Games in London.
Monday, May 7th 2012 - 03:31 UTC
Controversial Malvinas/Olympics advert was aired Sunday during soccer matches

Argentine state-run television aired the controversial advert on Sunday linking the London Olympics to a dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands, opening itself to further criticism from the International Olympic Committee.
Sunday, May 6th 2012 - 05:56 UTC
Malvinas-Olympic advert “not provocative” argues Argentine ambassador

Ambassador to London, Alicia Castro, assured that the Malvinas-Olympic Games advert bought by the Argentine Government ‘is not a provocation’ and did not mean to offend the memory of First World War British combatants.
Saturday, May 5th 2012 - 06:41 UTC
Cristina Fernandez enacts YPF nationalization and oil and gas self-sufficiency law

Argentine President Cristina Fernández enacted the YPF nationalization law, which was approved by the Lower House on Thursday. During a nation-wide televised speech from Government House, the Head of State also introduced the company’s new CEO, oil engineer Miguel Galuccio.
Saturday, May 5th 2012 - 06:38 UTC
Hollande or Sarkozy, on Monday the Berlin-Paris axis reviews EU austerity policies

Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy made an impassioned final appeal to voters on Friday, saying that a Socialist victory could send France spiraling the way of Greece, as polls showed him narrowing his challenger’s lead two days before the vote.
Saturday, May 5th 2012 - 06:35 UTC
Spain says Argentina should follow Bolivia example and pay a ‘fair price’ for YPF

Toning down its initial strong reactions to the nationalization of Spanish controlled YPF Spain’s Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo said that Argentina should pay a “fair price” for the oil company citing a similar case in Bolivia this week.