For the first time in five years Standard & Poor’s has cut Russia’s credit rating to ‘BBB-‘, just above junk status. It warns the tension in Ukraine and ‘significant’ capital outflow could mean another downgrade. Moscow says it is “politically motivated.” “In our view, the tense geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine could see additional... 

In some areas of the world, payment systems that require palm scanning or face scanning are already being tested. We have entered an era where biometric security is being hailed as the “solution” to the antiquated security methods of the past. We are being promised that the constant problems that hackers are causing with our credit cards, bank accounts, ATM machines and Internet passwords will... 

Russian Communists are planning a mass campaign promoting a voluntary boycott of all American goods as proof that Russians cannot be intimidated by sanctions. The head of the Communist Party’s legal department, Vladimir Solovyov said that his comrades intend to set an example in the campaign, at least in its first stages. He also promised that the politicians will find suitable replacements for... 

Italy’s enormous public debt continues to grow at an unrelenting pace. The Bank of Italy announced on Monday that the country’s debt hit a record 2.1072 trillion euros in February, over 17 billion euros up compared to January. Within the 18-nation eurozone, only Greece had accumulated a higher overall debt mountain. Italy’s 2014 budget has been criticized by the European Commission... 

Financial problems in Spain increase the number of children living below the poverty line. The charity Save the Children has warned of growing poverty among children in Spain, saying the situation needs to be addressed urgently. The charity launched a petition on Tuesday urging the Spanish government to do more for deprived children in the crisis-hit country. According to the aid group, a third of... 

​The local government of Gothenburg, Sweden, is to begin a yearlong experiment to see if cutting the working week to 30 hours will be more efficient. It is hoped working less hours will cut down on sick leave, and save money. Under the plan, the employees will remain on the same pay. “We think it’s time to give this a real shot in Sweden,” as deputy mayor Mats Pilhem told the Swedish... 

China’s rejection of shipments of US corn containing traces of unapproved genetically modified maize has caused a significant drop in exports. According to a new report, US traders have lost $427 million in sales. Overall, China has barred nearly 1.45 million tons of corn shipments since last year, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), an American industry association, said Friday. The... 

Turkey’s credit rating has been downgraded as a result of political turmoil in the country. The international credit rating agency, Moody’s, has downgraded its outlook on Turkey over increased pressure on the country’s external financing position and weaker growth prospects. Moody’s on Friday changed the outlook from stable to negative, which puts the government’s investment-grade... 

Argentina is bracing for a major strike over high inflation and crime levels in the Latin American country. Three of the country’s five major unions are expected to take part in Thursday’s labor action in protest against the government’s attempt to cap salary increases. The 24-hour walkout is expected to severely disrupt the country’s public transportation. The government is struggling... 

Ukraine has stopped pumping Russian gas to its underground storages as Ukraine does not accept the natural gas price of $485 per 1,000 cubic meters. Russia has recently eliminated a gas discount it had given Ukraine, arguing that it was tied to a lease for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet base in Crimea peninsula. Officials say they are ready to pay $268 while Russia pointed to $2.2 billion debt Ukraine... 

The United States is likely to experience a financial “doomsday” as a result of its imposition of sanctions on Russia following Crimea’s secession from Ukraine, an analyst tells Press TV. Eric Draitser said in an interview with Press TV that Russia, which supplies more than one third of Europe’s gas, is a “great energy power” that “may decide to stop accepting US dollars to settle debts... 

In one of its most shocking reports since the beginning of the Ukrainian Crisis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is warning today that President Putin has ordered the immediate implementation of “Project Double Eagle,” which when fully realized will cause all global energy supplies to be purchased in gold thus, in effect, ending the US Dollar reign as the global reverse currency and collapsing... 

IMF boss recycles scary mantra used in 2008 to bailout too big too fail banksters. IMF boss Christine Lagarde has recycled the bankster mantra as the globalists push for a bailout of Ukraine. “Geopolitical tensions” in Ukraine “could cloud the global economic outlook” and “could have broader spill over implications,” she told an audience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced... 

Greek protesters shout slogans during a demonstration outside the parliament in Athens on March 30, 2014. Thousands of people in Greece have held a protest rally outside the parliament in the capital Athens against government’s austerity measures. Over 12,000 people rallied in the capital on Sunday ahead of the parliament vote on a bill for fresh international loans. Lawmakers are expected to approve... 

Western sanctions might push Russia to deepen cooperation with BRICS states, in particular, to strengthen its ties with China, which will possibly turn out to be a big catastrophe for the US and the EU some time later. On March 18, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, claimed in a BBC interview that Russia would switch to new partners in case of economic sanctions being imposed by the...