CARDIFF — Six-Nations Grand Slam champions Wales suffered a fifth straight loss when they were humbled 26-19 at home by Samoa on Friday, causing consternation in a proud rugby country with world champions New Zealand up next. The Pacific islanders were bright from the off in the November international and Fa'atoina Autagavaia scored a try after just over a minute following a flowing drive marked by missed Wales tackles. The hosts went in 13-10 ahead at the break, albeit against the run of play Read more [...]

No big surprises in the flurry of briefs in Argentina’s debt holdout saga then. A quick recap: a US appeals court on October 26 upheld a court ruling by New York Judge Thomas Griesa that opened the door to Argentina making some payment of the “holdout” creditors led by Elliott’s NML Capital, which spurned its 2005 and 2010 restructurings of the nearly $100bn on which it defaulted in 2001. Judge Griesa had ruled on the basis of an “equal treatment” clause. But the appeals court sent Read more [...]

Lionel Messi’s season has ended with Argentina’s National Team. It’s been quite a run. Messi’s transformation in 2012 was remarkable. The man who couldn’t score for his country suddenly equalled Gabriel Batistuta’s 1998 record of 12 goals in a year. Messi needed only nine games, while Batistuta had 12. Messi has always scored for Barcelona, but he only began to deliver for Argentina this year. Between March 2009 and October 2011, he failed to find the net in 16 matches: seven Read more [...]

Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi's season has ended with Argentina's national team. It's been quite a run.Messi's transformation in 2012 was remarkable. The man who couldn't score for his country suddenly equaled Gabriel Batistuta's 1998 record of 12 goals in a year. Messi needed only nine games, while Batistuta had 12.Messi has always scored Read more [...]

Argentina refused late Friday to give up its long fight against bond holdouts seeking $1.45 billion for their piece of defaulted debt on which most other bondholders accepted steep discounts years ago as the country climbed out of an economic crisis. U.S. Judge Thomas Griesa gave Argentina a midnight Friday deadline to say whether it would accept his remedy and begin paying the holdouts next month. Instead, Argentina's government said it was Read more [...]

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Messi has always scored for Barcelona, but he only began to deliver for Argentina this year. Between March 2009 and October 2011, he failed to find the net in 16 matches: seven World Cup qualifiers, five at the World Cup, and four in Copa America, the continental championship.The criticism was unrelenting, with reports suggesting he was either unpatriotic or unable to handle the enormous pressure placed on him in football-mad Argentina.Messi has clicked with Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, who Read more [...]

Fans of Lady Gaga are turning out in all sorts of costumes outside the South American stadium where she's preparing for a concert, and they've been rewarded with a brief appearance. Lady Gaga greeted the crowd wearing jeans, a T-shirt and long red hair as she entered the stadium. It was nothing like the pop star image she projects on stage. Three burly bodyguards kept her well beyond the fans' reach. The Grammy-winning star is also expected to receive an award from the city of Buenos Aires, which Read more [...]

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PSA Finance Argentina Compania Financiera S.A. ("PSA Finance Argentina") (Aa2/NR/AA), which is 50/50 owned by Banque PSA Finance and BBVA Banco Francés, raised AR$ 93.4 million (approximately €15.2 million) in two tranches on 14 November 2012 : variable serie : AR$ 80 million on a 24 months maturity with a floating private Badlar rate plus 4.5% margin. fixed serie : AR$ 13.4 million with a fixed rate of 19,25% on a 9 months maturity. Read more [...]