Stories for December 2013

Friday, December 27th 2013 - 04:58 UTC
Argentina makes its case to Forbes: 'commitment has been to treat all bondholders equally'

By Cecilia Nahón (*) - The op-ed published on October 21 entitled “Supreme Court Moves Us Closer To Holding Deadbeat Argentina Accountable” openly distorts Argentina´s recent history and the facts surrounding its debt restructuring.
Friday, December 27th 2013 - 04:52 UTC
Inflation in Argentine provinces expected to reach over 30% at the end of 2013

Consumer prices in the Argentine province of San Luis climbed 2.9% in November over October, 27.8% over December 2012 and 29.3% in the last twelve months, according to the provincial stats office. San Luis is ruled by dissidents from the ruling Peronist coalition headed by President Cristina Fernandez.
Friday, December 27th 2013 - 00:59 UTC
China pumps 5bn dollars to help banking system with rising interest rates

China's central bank has pumped 5bn dollars into the banking system to ease concerns over a credit squeeze that has caused rising interest rates. The People's Bank of China did not explain its actions, but over the last few days there has been growing concern over the availability of credit.
Friday, December 27th 2013 - 00:16 UTC
Cristina Fernandez determined to decide on the incumbent candidate for 2015

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez denied point blank any prospects of her running for office for a third consecutive period or any other elected post in the 2015 elections. Member of Congress Carlos Kunkel, considered an 'ultra-Kirchnerite' said on Christmas that at the end of her mandate “Cristina will continue in politics”. However Cristina will apparently decide on the incumbent presidential candidate for 2015.
Friday, December 27th 2013 - 00:05 UTC
Over 10m Argentines live in poverty conditions, says Catholic University

Over a quarter of the Argentine population live in poverty conditions, with no formal job, poor quality education, dreadful housing and insufficient healthcare, according to the latest paper from the Buenos Aires Catholic University Social Debt Observatory.
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.