
The US Department of State has backed the appointment of Nancy Soderberg as Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB), saying her “responsibilities” as public servant are “not linked” with Argentina’s dispute with the holdouts, Argentina's Telam news agency reported.

Argentina on Monday asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a federal judge’s finding that it is in contempt of court for taking steps to evade his orders that bondholders who agreed to debt restructurings can only be paid if holdout hedge funds are also compensated.

In a harsh letter, released on Friday, Argentine President Cristina Fernandez urged US President Barack Obama to explain whether ”Nancy Soderberg, the person you have appointed as Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB), which reports directly to the Government of the United States of America, is also the Co-Chair of the American Task Force Argentina (ATFA), an entity specifically created to attack and slander the Argentine Republic and its President.”

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the July-September quarter, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday. That was better than the 3% pace that economist had been expecting and follows the 4.6% growth rate recorded in the April-June quarter.

US judge refused on Tuesday to require Bank of New York Mellon Corp to turn over to holders of defaulted Argentine bonds any of the 539 million dollars the country deposited to pay creditors who participated in its past restructurings.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday telephoned Brazilian head of state Dilma Rousseff to congratulate her on her re-election, the White House said in a statement. Obama emphasized the strategic value of our bilateral partnership and reinforced his commitment to deepening our cooperation in areas such as commerce, energy, and other priority bilateral issues through our existing strategic dialogues.

Billionaire Kenneth Dart’s EM Ltd. is seeking to take advantage of a U.S. court ruling won by fellow billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer NML Capital, as he seeks payment on 835 million dollars in defaulted Argentine bonds.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa has delayed by a week a December hearing to consider whether Citigroup Inc should be allowed to process an interest payment by Argentina on bonds issued under its local laws following its 2002 default.

The number of active rigs drilling for oil and gas fell by their most in two months, according to the latest data from oil services firm Baker Hughes. There were 19 oil rigs that were removed from operation as of Oct. 17, compared to the prior week. There are now 1,590 active oil rigs, the lowest level in six weeks.

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday dismissed the Argentine government's appeal of an order directing Bank of New York Mellon Corp to hold onto 539 million dollars the country deposited for its restructured bondholders.