UN chief warns about biggest global recession in 80 years facing world after pandemic - TASS

The world may face the biggest economic slump in 80 years because of the pandemic impacts, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video address to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on Friday.

Most Greeks expect economy to get worse in 2016, Grexit risk to resurface (survey)

The majority of Greek citizens expected that the ailing Greek economy will get worse in 2016, an opinion poll released on Sunday showed, despite the political leadership's optimism in New Year messages that the debt-laden country will exit a six-year recession during the new year.

Greece hit by strike as govt debates short extension of bailout

Greece was gripped by a new nationwide 24-hour general strike on Thursday, the first major mobilization in eight months, as the government debated a short extension of the bailout deals with international lenders.

Greece will require no further aid after bailout exit -PM Antonis Samaras

ATHENS: Greece will exit its EU-IMF bailout agreement as scheduled in 2014 and will require no further loans, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Monday.

"In 2014 we will make the big step to exit the loan agreement," Samaras said in a nationally televised address.
"In 2014, Greece will venture out to the markets again (and) start becoming a normal country," the Prime Minister said.
"In the new year, Greek debt will be officially declared viable, meaning there will be no need for new loans and new bailout agreements," he said.

Greece was first bailed out by the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank for 110 billion euros ($151 billion) in 2010.

Chypre: recours croissant à la charité, après des décennies de prospérité

"On n'aurait jamais pensé en arriver là un jour", soupire Chris, venu comme un nombre croissant de Chypriotes chercher un sac de nourriture gratuite dans une église de Nicosie, signe que la crise sociale s'aggrave dans le pays en pleine récession.
"Je travaillais comme menuisier, ma femme dans l'agroalimentaire, nous avions deux voitures, une vie facile jusqu'à ce qu'on perde notre travail", il y a quelques mois, explique-t-il. "Aujourd'hui, on s'éclaire à la bougie parce qu'on a même plus de quoi payer l'électricité, et je viens chercher de l'aide ici", une démarche impensable il y a quelques mois dans cette île longtemps prospère.

Miles de griegos en toman las calles en jornada de huelga general

Unos 16 mil manifestantes salieron a las calles de Atenas y Salónica, la segunda ciudad de Grecia, durante la jornada de huelga general convocada por los principales sindicatos del país para protestar contra el plan gubernamental que prevé despedir a 25 mil empleados públicos de aquí a 2014.
La convocatoria no paralizó al país, pero se hizo sentir en el transporte, según el reporte de agencias internacionales de noticias.
El tráfico aéreo se vio afectado debido a la huelga de los controladores; en los hospitales, los bancos y en todos los servicios dependientes de los ayuntamientos y los organismos locales, que serán los más afectados de aprobarse las medidas que se discuten en el Parlamento.

Ο οίκος Moody’s υποβάθμισε μεγάλες ρωσικές τράπεζες/Moody's downgrades Russia's 3 top lenders.

Ο διεθνής οίκος αξιολόγησης Moody’s ανακοίνωσε την υποβάθμιση πολλών μεγάλων ρωσικών τραπεζών, τόσο ως προς το μακροπρόθεσμο χρέος, όσο και ως προς τις καταθέσεις.

Συγκεκριμένα, πρόκειται για τις τράπεζες  Sberbank η οποία από το επίπεδο A3 υποβαθμίζεται σε Baa1, την τράπεζα VTB η οποία υποβαθμίζεται από Baa1 σε Baa2, την τράπεζα VTB 24, από Baa1 σε Baa2 και την τράπεζα RAB από Baa1 σε  Baa3.

Η διαδικασίες αξιολόγησης των τραπεζών άρχισαν από τις  2 Απριλίου 2013, ενώ  παράλληλα οι  εμπειρογνώμονες του οίκου εκτιμούν ότι μειώθηκε  η ικανότητα της ρωσικής κυβέρνησης να παρέχει συστηματική υποστήριξη στις μεγάλες τράπεζες, σε σύγκριση με τα προ της κρίσης επίπεδα του 2007-2008.

Man trampled as hundreds of desperate Greeks scuffle for food (PHOTOS)

A fruit and vegetable handout in Greece led to one man being trampled on Wednesday, calling attention to the desperate conditions in the crisis-hit country. Some 55 tons of produce was given away by farmers who were protesting high production costs.
The person was injured when he was pushed by a crowd trying to grab the goods and fell and hit his head.
The chaos was sparked when food stalls ran out of fruits and vegetables, prompting dozens of people to rush to a nearby truck.
It was an “every man for himself” situation as the Greeks shoved their way to the front of the truck, competing for the food that was left. The 55 tons of food was completely gone in under two hours.

The Italian jobs? Unemployed youth clash with police in Italy (PHOTOS, VIDEO RT)

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About 3,000 unemployed demonstrators have clashed with riot police in Naples during a protest against rocketing youth unemployment. The violence erupted in the city after a visit by Labor Minister Elsa Fornero and left 23 people injured.
­Protesters donned masks of the unpopular Fornero and waved banners calling for Prime Minister Mario Monti to step down. Fornero and the German labor minister, Ursula von der Leyen, are in Naples for talks on Italy’s economic and unemployment problems.
A skirmish erupted when a breakaway group hurled stones and bottles at police, who returned fire with teargas, leaving 23 injured.