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Afghan President Will Not Seek Another Term

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he will not seek a third term in office. Some political opponents had feared Mr. Karzai would try to amend the constitution in order to be allowed to run for another term. But the Afghan leader said Thursday that the constitution does not allow a president to serve more than […]

Tags: , Posted in South Asia

Factors Cited by S&P in New US Rating

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:30 am (UTC-5)
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The international credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s says its decision to drop the status of U.S. government debt from “AAA” one level to “AA+” was based on an analysis of the same five “pillars” in the sovereign rating framework used to determine the creditworthiness of the 126 countries that S&P evaluates. The agency said […]

Tags: , , Posted in Economy

U.S. Central Bank Monetary Policy Ensures Money and Credit

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:30 am (UTC-5)
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The Federal Reserve in the United States acts as the country’s central bank. It has a mandate to promote maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates. The “Fed” has three main functions: –Provides and maintains an effective payments system, –Supervises and regulates banking operations –Conducts monetary policy. Structure of the Federal Reserve System: […]

Tags: , , , , , Posted in Economy

List of Countries With Top Credit Ratings

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
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Here is a list of countries with the highest possible (AAA) sovereign debt rating by all three major rating agencies, including Standard & Poor’s: Austria Canada Denmark Finland France Germany Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Singapore Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom These are the countries that are rated by S&P one step below the top (AA+): Belgium New […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Economy

Rating Agencies in Spotlight Following Downgrade

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
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The recent downgrade of the U.S. government’s credit rating by the Standard & Poor’s agency has put this private company and its major rivals in the headlines. Rating agencies are supposed to help investors by evaluating the creditworthiness of nations and companies that borrow money. The highest ratings are given to those judged to be […]

Tags: , , Posted in Economy

Bomb Kills 5 NATO Soldiers in Afghanistan

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 10:05 am (UTC-5)
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A roadside bomb has killed five NATO service members in southern Afghanistan The coalition says the soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device on Thursday, but gave no other details. Another NATO soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in the region the day before. Elsewhere in the south, Afghan officials say five police […]

Tags: , , , Posted in South Asia

Iran Naming Street After American Activist

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 9:55 am (UTC-5)
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Iran is naming a street in Tehran after an American activist who was killed during a 2003 protest against Israel’s destruction of Palestinian homes. State-run news reports say the Tehran city council ratified a proposal this week to name a street in memory of Rachel Aliene Corrie. The news reports say Corrie is viewed by […]

Tags: , , Posted in Middle East

US Stocks Advance in Early Trading Thursday

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 9:55 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. stock market indexes advanced sharply in early trading Thursday, one day after a massive sell-off. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the broader S & P 500 are both up 1.2 percent. The NASDAQ is ahead by 1.7 percent. Major European indexes also moved up. London’s Financial Times index and the DAX index in […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Economy

US Stocks Rebound, European Markets Fall Again

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 9:55 am (UTC-5)
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U.S. stock markets made strong gains in early trading Thursday, rebounding from a sell-off in the previous session as a new economic data indicated U.S. companies are laying off fewer workers. The U.S. government said first-time claims for jobless benefits fell to a four-month low in the past week. It was the fewest number of […]

Tags: , , , Posted in Economy

Swaziland Needs $11 Million to Reopen Only University

Posted August 11th, 2011 at 9:50 am (UTC-5)
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Swaziland’s education minister says the country’s only university needs $11 million to resume classes. The University of Swaziland was set to begin its academic year this week, but failed to open as the country’s government deals with a severe cash crisis. The crisis has left the tiny southern African country struggling to pay health care […]

Tags: , Posted in Africa