Stories for January 12th 2018

Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:58 UTC
S&P downgrades Brazil's credit rating; delay of pension system reform takes the blame

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut Brazil’s credit rating further below investment grade on Thursday as doubts grew about a presidential election in October and a push to trim its costly pension system, seen as vital to closing a huge fiscal deficit. S&P lowered its long-term rating for Brazil sovereign debt to BB- from BB previously, with a stable outlook, citing less timely and effective policymaking. S&P also cited a risk of greater policy uncertainty after this year’s elections.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:50 UTC
Argentina inflation reached 24.8% in 2017, well above central bank's target

Consumer prices in Argentina rose 24.8% in 2017 after a sharp 3.1% increase in December, government data showed on Thursday, well above the central bank's target range for annual inflation of 12-17%t. The monthly reading, which was above median expectations in December of 2.5%.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:46 UTC
Rigby & Peller lingerie loose royal warrant for disclosing Buckingham information

The former owner of a firm that made lingerie for Queen Elizabeth II wept on Thursday as she expressed regret that the company lost its royal warrant after her memoir disclosed details of a meeting with the monarch at Buckingham Palace. June Kenton said Rigby & Peller lost the right to display the royal coat of arms in 2017 after she mentioned the royals in her book, “Storm in a D-cup.”
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:36 UTC
Farage willing to a second referendum to end anti-Brexit “whinging and whining”

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage says he is close to backing a second EU referendum to end the “whinging and whining” of anti-Brexit campaigners. Mr Farage told Channel 5's The Wright Stuff a fresh vote could “kill off” the Remain campaign for a generation.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:26 UTC
Brazilian inflation ends 2017 at 2.95%, below the bottom of central bank target

The annual inflation rate in Brazil increased to 2.95% in December, from 2.50% in November, rising above economists' projections of 2.80%, but ending the year below the bottom of the central bank's target for 2017, which ranged from 3% to 6%.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:16 UTC
Foreign Office rejects Ecuadorean diplomatic status for Wikileaks Julian Assange

The British Foreign Office rejected an Ecuadorian government request to grant the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange diplomatic status in a bid to bring to an end his forced stay in the South American country’s London embassy.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:10 UTC
Super airlifter BelugaXL rolls out from Toulouse

The first structurally complete airframe for the new BelugaXL rolled out from its assembly hangar in Toulouse, France this month. Once operational, a fleet of these next-generation airlifters will be used to transport completed sections of Airbus aircraft among the company’s European production sites and to its final assembly lines in France, Germany and Spain.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 10:05 UTC
Boeing's record year of sales with 763 deliveries of market leading 737 and 787 jets

Boeing delivered more commercial airplanes than any manufacturer for the sixth consecutive year and set an industry record with 763 deliveries in 2017, driven by high output of the market-leading 737 and 787 jets. At the same time, the company grew its backlog with 912 net orders, reflecting healthy demand for its single-aisle and twin-aisle airplanes.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 09:59 UTC
Falklands radio station with new old faces

Falklands Radio has new staff members from this week. Corina Goss has returned as Station Manager, while Gavin Short has joined the team as Senior News Correspondent.
Corina was also the station manager from 2005 to 2016, having joined the station in 1993, aged just 16, as a continuity announcer.
Friday, January 12th 2018 - 09:44 UTC
BAS team doing first scientific Southern right whale survey in South Georgia

An international team of researchers, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), travels to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia this month to carry out the first scientific whale survey since whaling stopped in the 1970s.