
The Argentine hockey player filmed training on the Falkland Islands in a controversial video that caused a furor in Britain last week has been dropped from Argentina’s final Olympic Games warm-up event.

The Argentine Olympic Committee has responded for the first time to an advertisement on state-run TV that links a dispute with Britain about the Falklands/Malvinas Islands to the London Games.

Argentina’s nationalized oil and gas corporation YPF newly appointed General Manager Miguel Galuccio hosted on Monday his first official meeting addressing an auditorium of 200 workers at the Comodoro Rivadavia plant where he announced that the strategic plan of the company will be ready in the next 100 days.

The banks that helped Argentina's Petersen Group buy a stake in energy company YPF will give the group extra time to make a loan payment due this month, according to sources involved in the negotiations.

President Cristina Fernández said in relation to the controversial Olympic/Malvinas advert that “creativity can’t be censored”, on the contrary it should be “applauded” because it reflects the feelings of the Argentines. The head of state also rejected lifting the spot as demanded by Britain and the Y&R agency in New York.

Brazilian former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso said that Mercosur “needs to be reborn but with a real integration spirit among its members” leaving behind such ambitions as the mirror of the European Union.

Spain-based energy group Repsol has sent letters to oil majors including Exxon-Mobil, Chevron and Conoco-Phillips warning it would sue them if they try to invest in YPF or its assets, reports the British newspaper The Financial Times.

The Argentine decision to seize control of 51% of YPF oil and gas giant came into effect on Monday as a decree was published on the Official Gazette. From Spain a new barrage of criticisms in support of Repsol and condemning Argentina started the week.

European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht expressed concern Monday over what he called a “growing tendency towards protectionism across Latin America” and warned Europe is preparing retaliation measures against Argentina after YPF expropriation

The controversial Malvinas/Olympics advert promoted by the Argentine government ahead of the London Games not only has had negative reactions worldwide but has also triggered deep concern among members of the Argentine Olympic team.