Stories for 2011

Saturday, October 8th 2011 - 08:20 UTC
Chronicle of a foretold cut: Fitch downgrades Italy and Spain’s credit rating

Fitch cut on Friday Italy's sovereign credit rating by one notch and Spain's by two, citing a worsening of the Euro zone debt crisis and a risk of fiscal slippage in both countries. Fitch cut Italy's rating to A+ from AA- and lowered Spain to AA- from AA+.
Saturday, October 8th 2011 - 08:16 UTC
Moody’s downgrades 12 UK finance firms on fears BoE will not rescue weak banks

Moody's has downgraded the credit rating of 12 UK financial firms including Lloyds TSB, RBS, Nationwide and Santander UK. The ratings agency said it now believed the government was less likely to support firms that got into trouble.
Saturday, October 8th 2011 - 08:13 UTC
Justice Minister admits a “culture of violence” and “impunity” in Brazil

“Economic interests” and a “culture of violence” are to blame for rate crimes in Brazil and conspire against government plans to disarm the population and improve security, claimed Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo.
Saturday, October 8th 2011 - 08:09 UTC
Latin America has highest rates of intentional homicide, says UNDOC report

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, has released its first “Global Study on Homicide”, which shows that young men, particularly in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Central and Southern Africa, are at greatest risk of falling victim to intentional homicide.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 22:21 UTC
Predominance of Chinese demand rattles Chile’s economic prospects

Even when the price of copper, Chile’s number one export, only begun to recover Friday of continued consecutive falls, in September and the first week of October the red metal reached its lowest level in 14 months.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 22:12 UTC
Half a million families live in Buenos Aires slums and keep expanding vertically and horizontally

Over half a million families live in 864 slums and irregular settlements in metropolitan Buenos Aires surrounding Argentina’s capital. Of this number 66% have over fifteen years since founded and in 65% of them expansion either horizontally or vertically continues.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 21:17 UTC
Freedom of expression oppressed and endangered in Argentina claims independent media

Argentina’s main private media association, ADEPA, launched a devastating report on freedom of expression in Argentina and warns of the existence of “a mechanism geared to divulge official reports and aggrieve those who think differently”.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 18:13 UTC
Argentine October presidential election, just another calendar day for CFK

Buenos Aires pollster Poliarquía which in recent years has better anticipated electoral results in Argentina, forecasts a comfortable victory for President Cristina Fernandez (CFK) re-election bid next Sunday 23, confirming a third consecutive mandate for the Kirchner couple.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 18:08 UTC
IMF tells Latam to be prepared for a “triple shock”, in the worst of scenarios

Latin American policy makers must be prepared to use interest rate cuts and consider fiscal measures to protect their economies in the event that the global economy stalls, the International Monetary Fund said.
Friday, October 7th 2011 - 18:04 UTC
US September job figures bring sigh of relief to markets

US employment grew more than expected in September and job gains for the prior months were revised higher, according to a government report, released Friday, that could ease fears the economy was heading into recession.