Stories for September 27th 2013

Friday, September 27th 2013 - 22:12 UTC
EC concludes fact-finding mission in Gibraltar/Spain border; tax fraud was not in agenda

European Commission said that it had received no “official, specific” complaint alleging tax fraud in Gibraltar, despite Spain’s repeated accusations against the Rock. Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly made the clear statement as he reminded reporters that allegations of tax evasion had not formed part of Wednesday’s fact-finding mission to the border.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 22:01 UTC
Mujica inclined to support UPM pulp production expansion but conditioned to environment improvements

Uruguay’s president Jose Mujica anticipated that his intention is to authorize the UPM pulp mill to expand production, as the Finnish company had requested, but conditioned to certain additional environmental measures, which will not be made public until talks with Argentine president Cristina Fernandez on Monday.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 21:52 UTC
“Appalling conditions” for workers readying the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar

Qatar 2022 World Cup organisers say they are “appalled” by the findings of an investigation into the treatment of migrant workers in the country. The Guardian reported Nepalese workers in Qatar “face exploitation and abuses that amount to modern-day slavery”.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 21:40 UTC
Jobs market remains strong in Brazil; unemployment down to 5.3% in August

Brazil's jobless rate fell unexpectedly and salaries jumped in August from the previous month, government data showed this week. It was the second consecutive month-to-month drop in Brazil's jobless rate, which remains close to record lows.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 21:33 UTC
South Georgia krill could suffer most global warming according to BAS

Modelling of the effects of sea temperature rises in the Southern Oceans indicates that krill in the seas around South Georgia may be the hardest hit of the region by the effects of global warming, reports the August edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 12:42 UTC
“Uruguay does not need money, we need talent”, Mujica tells Vice-president Biden

Uruguay “does not need money; we need talent, students that complete their formation in the US and return to Uruguay to share and invest their knowledge” president Jose Mujica told US Vice-president Jose Biden during an hour long meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 08:20 UTC
Falklands’ tourism stats: UK and Argentina provide the most arrivals

The Falkland Islands Tourist Board has released statistics from last season and Managing Director Tony Mason explained that the seasonality of tourism in the Falkland Islands is quite significant, with 65.5% (nearly two-thirds) of all arrivals visiting in the first and last three months of the year (Jan-Mar and Oct- Dec) in 2012.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 08:10 UTC
Uruguay planning a fluvial outpost next to a pulp mill questioned by Argentina

The Ministry of Defence and the Navy share the dream of having a fluvial outpost at the head of the San Martin bridge” which links Uruguay with Argentina, said Uruguayan Defence minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro following a joint forces exercise denominated ‘Turbulent River’ involving land, naval forces and air support.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 08:04 UTC
Pulp mill UPM waiting for a reply from Mujica on its production expansion request

Uruguay’s largest pulp mill UPM announced that it will be making final checks of the plant’s equipment in the rest of the week, following on annual maintenance work, but production is not scheduled to resume until the Finnish company receives a reply from President Jose Mujica regarding the output expansion request.
Friday, September 27th 2013 - 07:30 UTC
Malvinas/Falklands joint claims: Spain denies Timerman, calls UK a “friend”

The Spanish government denied having agreed with Argentina on joint measures to press Great Britain for Malvinas Islands and Gibraltar sovereignty claims, as had been reported earlier on Thursday by Argentina’s foreign minister Hector Timerman, and described the UK as a friend country.