In Japan, US soldiers commit crimes with complete impunity
In Japan, Abe Still Wants to Repeal the Peace Constitution
"The Catastrophe at Fukushima Has Launched a Series of Democratic Movements"
In Fukushima, Life Remains a Daily Combat
The Catastrophe at Fukushima: TEPCO Begins its Confession
Five innocents condemned to death
Albert Camus on Hiroshima. War journal of 8 August 1945
The Choice Between "Hell and Reason"
At Fukushima, a Serious Radioactive Leak
Fukushima, Fears are Confirmed
"To Work at Fukushima, You Have to Be Ready to Die"
Death Still Hangs Over Fukushima
Benin – a move toward the restitution of treasures pillaged during the colonial conquest
Jerusalem: Trump’s disgusting blackmail at the UN
Nicolas Sarkozy: Crossing the Libyan Desert
Christmas. Pope Francis calls for us to open our arms to migrants.
Morocco: Killed for a few bags of rice
19th Congress of the CPC Xi Jinping wants to strengthen ties between party and society
Indian Farmers Lend their Support to the Palestinian Resistance
Somalia: deadly explosion of two booby-trapped cars in Mogadishu
SHOULD WE TURN OUR BACK ON CHINA OR COOPERATE...
Delegates to the congress will elect the new leadership team of the Chinese Communist Party.
Steve Biko, the First Nail in Apartheid’s Coffin
Murder of Gauri Lankesh Puts Spotlight on Freedom of the Press
ORIGINAL FRENCH ARTICLE: Moody’s baisse la note de crédit du Japon
Moody’s lowers Japan’s credit rating
Translated Saturday 27 August 2011, by and reviewed by Henry Crapo
With their rating brought down to Aa3, three notches below AAA, Japan has been placed under increased pressure. In spite of the difficulties the country faces, the markets want to submit it to greater austerity.
The ratings agency justifies its decision as follows: “Over the past five years, frequent changes in administrations have prevented the government from implementing long-term economic and fiscal strategies as effective and durable policies”.
In response, the Japanese government has announced a series of measures to counter the strength of the yen, one of which is a 100 billion dollar (69 billion euro) credit facility, over one year, to encourage Japanese businesses to make foreign investments, and an increased surveillance of the foreign exchange market. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda hopes to thus curb the rise of the yen, seen as a safe investment in the context of investors’ distrust of any risky assets.
