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CREDIT RATINGS AGENCY Moody’s has issued a negative outlook warning on Germany’s AAA rating, suggesting a possible downgrade down the line.
A negative outlook warning is the first step towards a downgrade.
In its announcement yesterday, Moody’s also revised stable outlooks to negative for the Netherlands and Luxembourg amid uncertainty over the ongoing European debt crisis. It reaffirmed Finland’s AAA rating and stable outlook.
It said that the four states are being “adversely affected” by developments in the eurozone including the “rising uncertainty regarding the outcome of the euro area debt crisis given the current policy framework”. It also cited increased risks to eurozone members arising “from the increased likelihood of Greece’s exit from the euro area”.
Moody’s said that even if a Greek exit is averted, there is a higher likelihood of Greece requiring further support from other EU states. Troika representatives are in Athens today to asses Greece’s progress on its bailout targets amid speculation over its possible exit from the single currency.
Germany’s finance ministry downplayed Moody’s announcement, emphasising in a statement last night that the agency had kept Germany’s triple-A rating.
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I think the decision to ask people to stay off the roads was a major contributor to the low death toll .
Well done to all the emergency services and to companies who instructed staff to stay home .
Condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones .
@Paddy Hayden: no doubt as also did closing schools/crèches etc. I was put at 8 yesterday morning and it was like Christmas Day. Popped to shop about 11 and it was like an off license on Christmas Eve. The winds were at their worst in the early hours of this morning in north fingal
I agree Paddy. Well done to all. Does anybody feel that those who defied the advice and went swimming or whatever, should be charged with sone type of public order offence ? Like it was crazy to do what some did – idiots !
@Chris Gavican: yes
@Chris Gavican: send them the bill for their rescue, and pursue them through the courts for payment. Might deter other Darwin Award nominees.
@Chris Gavican: They should be made to pay whatever it costs to bring out the emergency services. To unnecessarily put others’ lives at risk, whatever about the stupidity of risking their own lives is criminally reckless.
The pictures of shoppers in Tesco and Lidl are hugely informative. Who knew that is how people shopped in a storm?
@roderick:
Roofs blown off and structural damage in Cork, meanwhile shoppers in Dublin stocked up on their lattes….
@Avina Laaf: I mean it was just one day!
@Avina Laaf: The builders in Cork must be cowboys then. They should learn how to build properly.
It was only one day of the storm but for people living in the country which is where most of the damage was done, it’s up to 10 days without power which also means no water and roads still blocked, so maybe for a change people on here should think of those outside of Dublin.
In fairness the queues are always like that in lidl in Thomas St
The biggest storm I remember was on the night of 31 January 1974. There were 3, 100-year old trees down across the Monkstown road (Co. Dublin). The road was closed for 3 days. On the Vico road above Whiterock beach most of the wires were down from the poles on the road. I lost count of the number of fallen trees I saw all around Co. Dublin. A new housing estate in Portmarnock had most of the roof tiles stripped from many houses. I was driving at 1.30 AM along the Stillorgan road near Foxrock and the trees were meeting each other from both sides of the road forming a tunnel. That road was a much narrower dual carriageway in those days. I’m amazed that this storm is never mentioned when big storms are talked about on radio or television. I have never experienced winds or storms as bad as that one.
So, there was a storm in dublin and cork yesterday, the rest of the country was very lucky !!!
@eamonn farrell: well said eamonn, pics only show dublin and cork, as we know the rest of rural ireland does not matter in some eyes
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