Politics

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:33 UTC

  Repsol sues Argentina over YPF in NY court and also takes the case to World Bank arbitration

  

  Repsol YPF SA the large Spanish oil and gas company on Tuesday sued Argentina for seizing control of formerly state-owned energy company YPF SA, in which Repsol held a majority stake.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:27 UTC

  Brazilian discomfort: ends automatic import licences for Argentine perishables

  

  Brazil this week escalated a growing trade fight with Argentina by increasing the bureaucratic obstacles for importing about 10 perishable products including apples, raisins, and potatoes, a senior Brazilian government official was quoted by the media.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:15 UTC

  Colombia/US free trade agreement expected to create 100.000 jobs per year

  

  The long-delayed free-trade deal between Colombia and the United States came into force on Tuesday, a step that should boost the country’s exports and foreign investment, President Juan Manuel Santos said.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:07 UTC

  Brazil planning to cut taxes on electricity to help reduce industry costs

  

  The Brazilian government has plans to cut and simplify taxes for electricity producers and distributors as part of a strategy to reduce Brazil's high business costs and stimulate its struggling economy, reports Reuters.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 01:03 UTC

  President Rousseff happy and supportive of the 2 dollars Real

  

  The Brazilian Real dropped past 2 per dollars for a second day as President Dilma Rousseff said it has been “extremely overvalued,” encouraging speculation the currency of Latin America’s biggest economy may fall further.

• Wednesday, May 16th 2012 - 00:59 UTC

  Deadly attack against former minister in the heart of Bogotá kills 2, injures dozens

  

  A bomb targeting a hard-line former Colombian interior minister killed two of his bodyguards and injured at least 31 others in the heart of Bogotá’s uptown commercial district Tuesday, authorities said.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:53 UTC

  Economy receives Hollande with anaemic performance: zero growth in Q1

  

  France's economy stalled in the first quarter as household consumption flat lined, businesses pared back investment and exports slowed, underlining the challenge facing Socialist President Francois Hollande who took office on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:47 UTC

  Hollande names parliamentary leader and Germany expert as Prime Minister

  

  French President Francois Hollande named veteran Socialist parliamentary leader and Germany-expert Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister on Tuesday, an appointment which may help smooth negotiations with Berlin on tempering austerity in Europe.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:40 UTC

  New elections in Greece; Hollande flies to meet with Merkel in Berlin

  

  Attempts to form a government in Greece collapsed on Tuesday rattling financial markets at the prospect of extremist parties opposed to the terms of an EU bailout could sweep to victory and push the Euro zone crisis into a dangerous new phase.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 08:35 UTC

  Argentine Vice-president and business partners charged with embezzlement

  

  Argentine Vice President Amado Boudou, his girlfriend the journalist Agustina Kampfer, his personal friend and business partner José María Nuñez Carmona, and the Belgian citizen and businessman Alejandro Vandenbroele, were charged on Monday of embezzlement by Federal Prosecutor Jorge Di Lello.