Stories for December 26th 2013

Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 23:54 UTC
Argentina’s socioeconomic statistics: still lying after all these years, says The Economist

For years the IMF turned a blind eye as Argentina doctored its inflation index and plumped up its numbers for economic growth. Then last February the fund steeled itself and censured the country, warning it to improve its statistics by September or face potential suspension or expulsion. This threat was unprecedented in the fund’s history.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 08:43 UTC
Virus kills over 1.000 migratory bottleneck dolphins in US eastern seaboard

More than 1,000 migratory bottlenose dolphins have died from a measles-like virus along the US Eastern Seaboard in 2013 and the epidemic shows no sign of abating, a marine biologist said. The death toll exceeds the 740 dolphins killed during the last big outbreak of the then-unknown virus in 1987-88.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 08:31 UTC
Falklands government contracts local company for provision of IT services

The Falkland Islands Government and local company Synergy Information Systems Ltd have agreed a contract for the provision of IT services to Government. The contract, signed last week following formal approval by Executive Council, involves the management of the Government’s IT network infrastructure and user support and results in the transfer of more than 80% of Government IT work to the local private sector.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 08:24 UTC
Gibraltar changes tax laws to meet EU requirements

Gibraltar has changed its tax laws to tweak the Income Tax Act 2010 to meet EU requirements. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo certified the bill as urgent to speed up its process through Parliament.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 08:17 UTC
Brazil conditions any future oil pre-salt bidding to local industry capacity to supply equipment and services

Brazilian Government has decided that any future bidding rounds involving pre-salt blocks will only be launched according to the local industry capability to supply the demand in equipment and services needed by the sector. Local industry has been struggling to keep up with the demand placed by O&G players already involved in pre-salt E&P in Brazil, which are all Petrobras partners, such as BG and others.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:51 UTC
The Economist’s country of the year: Uruguay

Human life isn’t all bad, but it sometimes feels that way. Good news is no news: the headlines mostly tell of strife and bail-outs, failure and folly.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:43 UTC
Trickle-down economics in one of South America’s poorest countries, Paraguay

The Economist has dedicated an article to the recently inaugurated Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes, and his attempts to improve the living conditions of the majority of a population which is poor in a country rich in agriculture and energy.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:37 UTC
FIFA calls on Brazil to work flat-out in the months ahead of World Cup June 12 kick-off

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says there is a huge amount still to do in preparations for the World Cup. In his end-of-year statement on FIFA.com, the Frenchman urges Brazil 2014 organizers to work flat out in the months before the June 12 kick-off in Sao Paulo to deliver on their promises.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 07:31 UTC
Gazprom confirms in has started production at Prirazlomnoye field on the Arctic shelf

Gazprom has started producing oil from the Prirazlomnoye field, which is the first Russian project for developing the Arctic shelf and the commencement of their large-scale activities aimed at creating a large hydrocarbon production center in the region, according to the company.
Thursday, December 26th 2013 - 06:00 UTC
UK sponsored 'innovation vouchers' for Chilean small and medium sized enterprises

Fifteen “innovation vouchers” were awarded to Chilean (Small and medium enterprises), SMEs who will now begin working with project teams from the Universidad Católica, Universidad de Desarrollo and Universidad de Santiago to improve their company’s products and services.