Skip to main content

Featured

Greece Faces Mounting Social Strain as 2.8 Million Residents Risk Poverty

                                        Athens, Greece Greece is once again confronting a troubling social reality: an estimated 2.8 million people—more than a quarter of the country’s population—are now at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Despite signs of economic recovery in recent years, the benefits have not reached everyone, leaving many households struggling to keep up with rising living costs, stagnant wages, and persistent unemployment. The latest figures highlight widening inequality, particularly among young people, single‑parent families, and the long‑term unemployed. Inflation has intensified the pressure, eroding purchasing power and pushing vulnerable groups closer to the edge. Social organizations warn that the situation is becoming unsustainable, with increasing demand for food aid, housing support, and community services. While the government ha...

article

Fed’s stance on interest rates rattles Wall Street


Wall Street recovered some of its losses on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve signaled that it is not planning to cut interest rates anytime soon.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, following the worst single-day downturn since September on Wednesday.

The Fed left its main interest rate unchanged and said it does not expect to lower it “until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward” its 2% target.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank needs more data to confirm that inflation is easing, despite recent signs of slowing wage growth and consumer spending.

“We’re not declaring victory at all,” Powell said. "We have confidence. It has been increasing, but we want to get greater confidence."

Investors were hoping for a more dovish tone from the Fed, as they worry about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, trade tensions, and geopolitical risks on the global economy.

Some sectors, such as technology and health care, bounced back on Thursday, while others, such as energy and financials, remained under pressure.

Shares of Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign teeth straighteners, surged more than 12% after beating analysts’ expectations for sales and profit.

More economic data is expected on Friday, with the release of the monthly jobs report for January.

Comments