The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the U.S. credit rating for the first time ever from the country’s elite triple-A status to double-A-plus, with a “negative outlook.” S&P said late Friday it made the move because the deficit reduction plan passed by Congress on Tuesday did not go far enough to stabilize […]
S&P Downgrades US Credit Rating for First Time
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 10:00 pm (UTC-5)
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Protesters Return to Madrid Square
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 9:15 pm (UTC-5)
Thousands of people marched into Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square Friday to protest police use of force on demonstrators who had rallied at the interior ministry a day earlier to protest the closure of the square. The central plaza has become a symbolic site for “Los Indignados,” a movement that has been protesting Spain’s high […]
S&P Downgrades US Credit Rating for First Time
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 9:00 pm (UTC-5)
The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the U.S. credit rating for the first time ever from the country’s elite triple-A status to double-A-plus. In a statement late Friday, S&P said it made the move because the deficit reduction plan passed by Congress on Tuesday did not go far enough to stabilize the […]
Bishop Accuses Sudan of Atrocities in Southern State
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
A bishop of the Anglican church has appealed to the United Nations to investigate what he says are credible reports of serious crimes committed by Sudanese troops in Southern Kordofan. Reverend Andudu Adam Elnail, who recently fled his home in the Sudanese state, spoke to reporters in New York on Friday, describing “ethnic cleansing” taking […]
15 Killed As Protesters Rally in Syria
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 7:35 pm (UTC-5)
Tens of thousands of Syrians have rallied against the government, as security forces expand their crackdown on dissent. Witnesses and activists say at least 15 people were killed on Friday after forces used live ammunition on protesters. They say most of the deaths occurred around Damascus. Anti-government protesters also rallied in cities that include Homs, […]
Italy Says It Will Balance Its Budget by 2013
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
With its borrowing costs sharply increasing, Italy says it will balance its budget by 2013, a year earlier than originally planned. Italian Prime Silvio Berlusconi made the pledge Friday night at a hastily called press conference, saying the government would also seek to win approval for a constitutional amendment requiring it to balance its annual […]
Poland’s Former Deputy PM Lepper Dead at 57
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 5:50 pm (UTC-5)
Authorities in Poland say former deputy prime minister Andrzej Lepper has been found dead and that it appears he committed suicide. He was 57. Police say Lepper’s body was found in his Warsaw office Friday and that everything indicates he killed himself. A police spokesman is quoted as saying authorities have ruled out the involvement […]
Italy Demands NATO Investigate Response to Distressed Refugee Boat
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 5:45 pm (UTC-5)
Italy is demanding NATO investigate whether an alliance warship ignored a distress call from a boat full of refugees trying to flee Libya. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Friday Italy was also asking NATO to consider changing its mission to mandate alliance forces in the region rescue and protect migrants fleeing the conflict by sea. […]
Sudan Blocks South Sudanese Oil Shipment
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
A vessel loaded with some 600,000 barrels of crude oil produced in South Sudan stands idle at a Sudanese port, blocked over the refusal of the government in Juba to pay customs fees. South Sudan captured 75 percent of Sudanese oil when it came independent early last month. But since it is landlocked, it must […]
Cuba Rejects Appeal From Jailed US Contractor
Posted August 5th, 2011 at 4:45 pm (UTC-5)
Cuba’s Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of jailed U.S. contractor Alan Gross, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in March for crimes against the communist state. The court on Friday rejected an appeal from Gross, who was arrested by Cuban authorities in December 2009 for bringing communications equipment into the country. The […]
