Argentina

• Thursday, August 14th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina: Moody downs debt 6 levels below invest grade

  

  Argentina's foreign debt rating outlook was cut on Thursday to stable from positive by Moody's Investors Service, which cited “heightened political volatility”. This means Argentina's rating stands at B3, six levels below investment grade.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina's official inflation: even most faithful misbelieve

  Enough is enough. Even the most loyal of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner officials are rebelling against the latest consumer prices index released on Monday by the Statistics and Census Office, Indec.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Official July inflation further impairs Cristina's image

  

  Argentina's Statistics and Census Office, Indec, announced Monday that July consumer prices index reached 0.4%, below analysts' forecasts and market estimates, further deteriorating the credibility of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner administration.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchners' Argentina debt rating drops to Paraguay level

  

  Argentina's foreign debt rating was cut Monday by Standard & Poor's from B+ to B, five levels below investment grade and in line with countries such as Jamaica and Paraguay. Concerns over slower economic growth, lower tax revenue and mounting investor mistrust in inflation data which erodes confidence in the government have been decisive for the new rating.

• Monday, August 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentina to buy 2008/98 bonds to help calm markets

  The Argentine government announced the purchase of 2008 and 2009 bonds, --plus interest payments in advance-- in an effort to ease markets which have shown great anxiety over the political situation and economic slowdown of Argentina, particularly last week.

• Monday, August 11th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Kirchners declared solid bank account and 38 properties

  

  Argentina's ruling couple Cristina and Nestor Kirchner assets in the first half of the year increased significantly while the Education minister Juan Carlos Tudesco figures as the richest man in the cabinet, according to their income disclosures published over the weekend in the Buenos Aires press.

• Saturday, August 9th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Malvinas war was a “battle” of ongoing claim, says CFK

  

  The Malvinas war was but a “battle” for the ongoing Argentine claim over the Falkland Islands which has the support of the world's citizenship and Margaret Thatcher, as a citizen of a world military power “will never be able to hide the fact the UK is a colonial country in the XXI century”.

• Friday, August 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine Congress discusses Aerolineas re-nationalization

  

  The Argentine Congress began this week to consider President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner proposal to re-nationalize Argentina's flag air carrier Aerolineas which until last month was under the control of a Spanish group.

• Friday, August 8th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine bond spreads at their highest since 2005

  

  Argentina's government bond spreads', which gauge investors' aversion to risk, widened sharply on Friday as confidence in the economic outlook and the political management of the country began to be questioned.

• Wednesday, August 6th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Argentine vice president cheered by farmers at agro- show

  

  Argentine vice president Julio Cleto Cobos was cheered and congratulated during his surprise Tuesday visit to Argentina's main agriculture show in the Buenos Aires grounds of Palermo.