and now, bbc world news. a leading credit agency downgrades america s top-notch credit rating for the first time in 70 years. it follows further turmoil on the world s financial markets amid fierce of a workning economic slowdown. the leaders of the u.s. france and germany condemn syria s president for what they call indiscrimnat violence. welcome to bbc news. one year on from the start of their underground ordeal, chile honors the miners who became national heroes. and the earliest surviving film by alfred hitchcock once thoughts lost but found in a vault in new zeal nt. welcome. the rating agency s standard and poors has jound graded the united states credit rating from its top aaa values by one value to ww plus. a u.s. official said the agency s analysis was flawed. the u.s. government has huge debts and the credit agency s feel that not enough has been done to deal with it. our correspondent in washington has the latest. this has been a very difficult week for ame