Tortuous negotiations over a second bailout for Greece are set to come to a head on Wednesday, putting fragile market confidence to the test on the same day data is tipped to show the euro zone is entering a mild recession. U.S. retail sales and the release of minutes from the last Federal Reserve rate-setting

Greek lawmakers looked set to endorse a new austerity deal on Sunday to secure an EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, defying public rage and protesters who fought pitched battles with riot police outside parliament. Lawmakers came under immense pressure from both sides, with tens of thousands of demonstrators pouring into Syntagma Square before parliament,

Asian shares and the euro gained on Monday after Greece came a step closer to securing a much-needed bailout fund and avoiding a messy default, though most of the recent optimism appeared to have been already priced in. European shares were seen following Asia higher, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain's FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and

Greece's parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill on Monday to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country. Cinemas, cafes, shops and banks were set ablaze in central Athens and black-masked protesters fought riot police outside parliament before lawmakers voted on

Thousands of Bulgarians staged protests against an international anti-piracy agreement they fear will curb their freedom to download movies and music for free and encourage Internet surveillance. Most in the crowd of 4,000 people who braved freezing temperatures in the capital Sofia were youths. Some protesters wore the grinning, mustachioed Guy Fawkes masks that have

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has told MPs to back a deeply unpopular international financial rescue in a vote on Sunday or condemn the country to “uncontrolled economic chaos and social explosion”. He made the statement in a televised address to the nation ahead of the vote on 3.3 bln euros in wage, pension and

Greek promises on austerity measures are no longer good enough because so many vows have been broken and the country that has been a “bottomless pit” has to dramtically change its ways, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. In a hard-hitting interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Schaeuble also said it is up to

Malaysia deported a Saudi Arabian blogger on Sunday, police said, despite fears voiced by human rights groups that he could face execution in his home country over Twitter comments he made that were deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad. Hamza Kashgari, a 23-year-old columnist, sparked outrage in the oil-rich kingdom with comments posted on the

Greece's technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos will not announce a cabinet reshuffle on Friday, a government official said, playing down speculation of an imminent reshuffle after one minister and five deputy ministers stepped down over an unpopular bailout package which includes unpopular wage and pension cuts. "There will be no reshuffle today," said the official