International

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 21:21 UTC

  “President Rajoy, in Colombia we don’t expropriate, we welcome foreign investment”

  

  Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos welcomed Spanish corporations and guaranteed his visiting Spanish peer Mariano Rajoy that in Colombia there will be no surprises because the country follows the rules of the game: “President Rajoy: here we don’t expropriate”.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 21:14 UTC

  Gibraltar receives record number of cruise visitors during the first quarter

  

  Gibraltar received a record number of cruise passengers in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest statistics released by the Gibraltar Government. The figures represent a slight increase over the same period in 2011, which itself marked a sharp rise over previous first-quarter cruise business.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 20:15 UTC

  Spain claims US will actively side “to restore a good climate for investment” in Argentina

  

  Spain will discuss a joint response with the United States to Argentina‘s forced nationalization of the YPF oil company, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said on Thursday.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 20:11 UTC

  France’s Total agrees to further increase natural gas production in Argentina

  

  Argentina's government said on Thursday that it had agreed with France's Total to work together to boost natural gas output by 2 million cubic metres per day at two Patagonian fields where YPF – which is being nationalized – also has a stake.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 19:38 UTC

  World Bank and France criticize Argentina’s “mistake” and international law breach

  

  Argentina's move to nationalize local oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, was strongly criticized by the World Bank president Robert Zoellick and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 05:18 UTC

  Falklands’ dispute controversy reaches The Washington Post

  

  The Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute has reached the US capital triggering an interesting exchange in the Washington Post, involving the newspaper and the ambassadors from Argentina and the UK.

• Thursday, April 19th 2012 - 05:08 UTC

  YPF nationalization allegedly killed Repsol’s Chinese option to leave Argentina

  

  China's state-owned Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) spokesman Huang Wensheng came on stage to play down rumours indicating that Argentina's move to nationalize local oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, has spoiled years of planning by Sinopec to buy the energy giant.
  “We don't comment on market rumours,” Wensheng said.

• Wednesday, April 18th 2012 - 22:56 UTC

  EC and Italy call on Argentina to fulfil its international commitments

  

  European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani addressed Argentina's plan to expropriate 51% of the 57.43% share-package Spanish ran Oil Company Repsol owns, during a speech at the European Parliament on Wednesday. From Rome Italy also voiced its concern with events regarding YPF and trade restrictions.

• Wednesday, April 18th 2012 - 22:49 UTC

  Repsol shares plunge 32.7% in Wall Street after three days of trading suspension

  

  Shares of Argentina’s biggest energy company Repsol-YPF plunged 32.7% on Wednesday in Wall Street after transactions resumed following three days of suspension.

• Wednesday, April 18th 2012 - 18:47 UTC

  HMS Plymouth where the Argentine surrendered South Georgia in 1982, to be scrapped

  

  The Royal Navy warship which hosted the Argentine surrender of South Georgia in 1982 is to be scrapped despite an intensive campaign to save it from extinction, reports the UK media.