Austerity News

IMF austerity has consequences for children's health: study By AFP Washington - Austerity policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund may harm parents' ability to care for their children's health, according to a study published Monday.

PM urges Finns to accept austerity in rare TV appeal By AFP Helsinki - Finland's centrist Prime Minister Juha Sipila urged Finns to accept the government's harsh austerity measures in a rare televised address to the nation on Wednesday."The Finnish state has contracted debt at a rate of almost a million euros ($1.

Greece approves austerity measures to stay in euro economy By Nathan Salant Athens - Greece's parliament argued long into the night Thursday but finally approved a long list of new austerity measures to keep the government afloat with emergency loans from other European Union nations.

Athens metro screens films demanding German WWII reparations By AFP Atenas - Screens across Athens' metro, usually reserved for weather forecasts, have shown more controversial subject matter this month with the broadcast of a government-backed film demanding German reparations for World War II.

Short Documentary 'Pieces of Madrid' on Spanish social crisis By Anne Sewell Madrid - In this short documentary, we learn about the ongoing resistance by the Spanish people to the economic and social crisis, the effects of budget cuts and austerity measures and how people are self-organizing to survive.

Thousands march in Spain against austerity By AFP Madrid - Tens of thousands of people marched in dozens of Spanish cities on Thursday against austerity measures enacted by the government, which is under pressure from the EU to reduce its public deficit.

Op-Ed: Will Hungary prove austerity wrong? By Matthew Turner Budapest - Enough is enough! As the number of Europeans taking to the streets to protest the economic dictates of Brussels' Eurocrats increases, Hungary is one country that seems to be straightforwardly ignoring the troika's austere policy prescriptions.

Op-Ed: Hungary’s easy money an alternative to German austerity? By Matthew Turner Budapest - 2013 has been a good year for Hungary. After officially ending its recession in May, the country surpassed all expectations, achieving an impressive growth rate of 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter.

Around 60 percent of Spanish population is worse off from 2013 By Anne Sewell Madrid - Spain's center-right newspaper, El Mundo, published the results of a survey on Tuesday, showing that despite Prime Minister Rajoy's assurances that things are better, 60 percent of the Spanish population has less money coming in than they did a year ago.

Op-Ed: Austerity — What Austerity? By Alexander Baron Fancy a game of high stakes poker, the holiday of a lifetime, or a nearly new Rolex watch? If you can only dream of such things, others live the dream.

Video: The chilling physical effects of poverty in 30 seconds By Anne Sewell The stress of poverty can literally change our appearance. "Manos Unidas" (joined hands), a Catholic organization providing aid to Third World countries, has produced a campaign highlighting just how poverty can etch itself into our faces.

Op-Ed: Student austerity and free laptops By Alexander Baron Why is it that American colleges can offer free laptops while in the UK and Europe generally the only thing on offer for students is yet more austerity?

Op-Ed: UK MPs set for 11% pay rise, but more austerity for Brits By Eileen Kersey London - Members of Parliament in the UK are set for a bumper 11 percent pay rise. Releasing this news in the same week Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement will be a slap in the face for Brits feeling the financial pinch.

Public meeting on zero hours contracts By Alexander Baron Zero hours contracts have been in the news a lot recently. Next week there is a public meeting in London to lobby against them.

Op-Ed: Two faces of austerity in London By Alexander Baron London - We may be living in an era of austerity, but as most people have long realised, the same rules do not apply across the board.

Ricky Tomlinson and Owen Jones speak at Durham Miners’ Gala By Mathew Wace Peck Durham - The actor and activist Ricky Tomlinson joined the Independent journalist Owen Jones in addressing the 123rd Durham Miners’ Gala.

Greek labour unions to hold third general strike By Michael Thomas Athens - Greek labour unions will be holding their third general strike this year as government in Athens debates the possibility of thousands of civil-service job cuts.

General strike paralyzes Portugal By Stephen Morgan Public sector unions have called a one day general strike in Portugal this Thursday to protest against the government's draconian austerity measures and its further plans to reduce pay and lengthen working hours in the public services.

Austerity has been 'painted over' in Belcoo, N Ireland for the G8 By Anne Sewell Belcoo - Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is the host city for officials from the wealthy G8 nations. To hide the fact that the town has been hit badly by the current austerity, shops have been painted over to look like they are thriving businesses.

Spanish scientists protest against spending cuts countrywide By Anne Sewell Madrid - Friday saw hundreds of Spanish scientists along with their supporters, marching through the streets of Madrid, as well as 18 other cities including Barcelona and Seville.

Op-Ed: Lawyers and the cuts in the UK By Alexander Baron The British Government claims it is seeking to transform Legal Aid. Many lawyers believe this is about saving money at the expense of justice.

Op-Ed: Food Banks, Fuel Tax And Fat Cats By Alexander Baron There has been a huge increase in the demand for food banks in the UK, but the privileged few are continuing to dine well while the taxpayer picks up the tab.

Op-Ed: Fighting the cuts, and exploiting them By Alexander Baron London - The London Fire Brigade is campaigning against a massive round of closures and redundancies. Others have joined in the fight, but not all have the same pure motives.

Op-Ed: Fighting the cuts in Bromley By Alexander Baron Bromley - Bromley is the largest borough in London, and one of the wealthiest, but it's not-so-wealthy, especially the disabled, are being targeted the same as everywhere else.

Op-Ed: Planned austerity for a country that doesn’t need it — Australia By Paul Wallis Sydney - Just when austerity is going out of fashion around the world, our brainless leaders are all for it. Australia’s deficit was caused by political ineptitude and policy mistakes. The economists are now talking about “savings”, aka austerity.

Op-Ed: The fight for Lewisham Hospital continues By Alexander Baron Lewisham - The fight by grass roots activists to save the accident and emergency department at London's Lewisham Hospital continues. Those backing the campaign include local politicians and hospital staff.

Op-Ed: Cameron, the banksters and the magic money tree By Alexander Baron UK Prime Minister David Cameron has come out with a corker - there is no magic money tree. If that is the case, perhaps he could tell us where money comes from?

Op-Ed: Why austerity will cost us more By Alexander Baron The British and other governments are remorselessly downsizing their public sectors and spending in the face of massive resistance. Now, even the high and mighty are questioning its wisdom.

Op-Ed: The Quixotic John Boehner By Edward Rochelle In an era of austerity and budget cuts the dreams of every politician are reduced to the reality of governing for the survivability of their constituency and not for their own self interests.

UK loses top AAA credit rating for first time in 35 years By Kev Hedges Britain has lost its cherished AAA credit rating after Moody's, the world's largest global credit rating agency, downgraded the UK to Aa1.

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