Several European countries — Greece, Spain and Ireland — are deeply in debt and under intense pressure to slash spending.

Today in Greece, thousands of workers went on strike to protest those cuts, bringing the country to a standstill. Spain saw similar protests yesterday.

For more, Martin Savidge interviews John Authers, investment editor of the Financial Times.

Our German partner Deutsche Welle has been reporting extensively on the crisis in Europe. Worldfocus presents several of their reports for a unique view of how the economic problems are playing out in Greece, Spain, and Ireland.

Do you worry that the financial crisis in Europe will slow the recovery in America?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please be respectful and on-point. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted, and repeat offenders will be banned.

Many of the firms that received bailout money are once again making huge profits.

The idea of fees and taxes on them is common in other countries. Britain and France are imposing some hefty, one-time taxes on bankers’ bonuses.

For more on how the U.S. government intends to impose these taxes, Daljit Dhaliwal interviews Andrew Clark, U.S. business correspondent for The Guardian.

Should the U.S. follow other governments in imposing big taxes on bankers’ bonuses?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please be respectful and on-point. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted, and repeat offenders will be banned.

The ceiling of the York Minister Gothic cathedral in northern England. Photo: Flickr user NickGarrod

An Anglican parish priest in northern England, Rev. Tim Jones, has caused quite a stir.

Jones suggested in a sermon on Sunday that it is permissible for people facing tough times to shoplift from large national stores.

On the Church of England website for the Diocese of York, Archdeacon Richard Seed rejected the priest’s call to break the law.

Do you agree with Reverend Tim Jones’ comments about shoplifting in desperate situations?

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JAPAN: The United States and Japan must “find ways to renew and refresh the alliance for the 21st century,” said President Barack Obama in Tokyo on Friday. He agreed to reopen talks on the contentious issue of the relocation of a U.S. airbase in the island of Okinawa.

CHINA: The general consensus at today’s APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting was that the balance of global growth is shifting towards Asia, with China, India and to some extent Indonesia leading the recovery from the global economic recession.

SUDAN: Eleven people were recently killed in tribal clashes in South Sudan’s Jonglei state. Clashes among rival ethnic groups often erupt over issues of cattle rustling and natural resources. Over 2,000 people have died and 250,000 been displaced in South Sudan since January.

SOMALIA: Twelve Somalis were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of piracy by the French navy. The suspects were captured 650 miles off the coat of Somalia.

Europe has officially emerged from the worldwide economic recession. The European Union expanded by 0.2 percent in the third quarter.

SWITZERLAND: Google Inc. is headed to court over charges of violating Switzerland’s personal privacy laws though the use of its Street View application. The application — which allows users to see a 360-degree view of a street-level location– is being criticized for identifying people without their knowledge.

VATICAN: A four-day symposium to bring the Vatican into the digital age began on Thursday. Officials and bishops are being trained on internet tools such as Facebook, Wikipedia, and Google.

RUSSIA AND CIS:

Russian President Medvedev will meet with US President Obama on Sunday on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Singapore. On the agenda: a new arms reduction deal and the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs.

The diaries of a British journalist who was one of the first to write about the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine will go on display to the public for the first time in London tomorrow.

Three people have been killed in a blast in a cemetery in the southern republic of Dagestan. The victims had come to pay tribute to police officer Abdumalik Magomedov, who had been killed last year.

Russia’s police scandal is widening. Two more policemen have posted appeals to President Medvedev on YouTube speaking out against abuse and corruption in the country’s police force: Mikhail Yevsev, who alleges police fabricated cases against innocent citizens, and Gregory Chekalin.

Lake Titicaca in Bolivia Photo: flickr user: Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak

BOLIVIA: Evaporation due to global warming has caused the Lake Titicaca in Bolivia to be at its lowest level since 1949.

MEXICO: Mexican President Felipe Calderon says he rejects a proposal by business leaders in the border town of Ciudad Juarez for U.N. peacekeepers to enter the town and quell drug-related violence.

CHILE: Michelle Bachelet, the Chilean president, said that there are signs that the economies of Latin America are turning the corner after the global recession.

EL SALVADOR: Aid agencies say that as many as 10,000 people may need food assistance in the Central American country after massive floods which left at least 140 people dead and destroyed acres of crops.

PAKISTAN: A suicide bomber today attacked the northwestern regional headquarters of the Pakistani intelligence agency killing more than 17 people and wounding many more.

TURKEY: A Turkish diplomatic source has said that the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog (IAEA) revealed the details of a proposal suggesting Turkey as a third-country destination for transport of Iran’s enriched uranium. On another front, the Turkish government announced new details today of its plan to reconcile with its minority Kurds in hope of ending an insurgency that has dragged on for 25 years.

SYRIA: Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, in France to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy, says Syria wants peace with Israel but questions Israel’s commitment to the process.  The visit comes after talks between Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

ISRAEL:Israeli army officials said today that Israeli troops killed one Palestinian and wounded four others along the Gaza border in what the military described as an attempted bomb attack.

An American Jewish group criticized Hezbollah for removing the “Diary of Anne Frank” from textbooks in a private school in Beirut.

AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban claimed responsibility on Friday for a suicide bombing attack near US military base outside the Afghan capital Kabul. The attack target was a NATO convoy.

The Hong Kong International Finance Center. Photo: Flickr user swisscan

Most world markets seem to be on their way upwards. Some countries have indeed pulled their economies out of recession, and many economists say that the U.S. is moving in that direction.

Although leading economic indicators signal increasing strength in the American economy, jobs remain scarce. Analysts predict that third-quarter growth will be positive for the first time in four quarters.

From your perspective, is the economy getting better?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Please remember to be respectful and on-point in your comments. Malicious or offensive comments will be deleted and repeat offenders will be banned.

Correspondent Martin Himel reports from Canada.

Data released Wednesday show that consumer spending rose in Europe in the second quarter of the year. That’s another encouraging sign that the global recession may be easing.  Still, unemployment in Europe and the U.S. remains high.

How confident are you that the global recession is ending?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Many of these people who came to Russia looking for work and better lives are currently suffering a dramatic reversal of fortune. Due to the hard hit Russia has taken from the recession, much of the work originally sought has gone away, leaving many with uncertain futures.

Neave Barker of Worldfocus partner Al Jazeera English reports from Moscow on those hit hardest by this turn of luck.

But despite a turnaround for those countries, much of Europe is still mired in recession.

Roben Farzad, a senior writer for BusinessWeek, joins Martin Savidge to discuss how fast the world economy is rebounding and to analyze what it will mean for the United States.

Marcus Mabry, the international business editor of The New York Times, joins Martin Savidge to analyze the deepening economic downturn and provide a look at what comes next in the European recession.

Unemployment may reverberate overseas as foreign producers lose valuable markets. This is the case with the auto industry — manufacturers abroad will be affected by the upcoming bailout decisions.

Marcus Mabry of The New York Times speaks with Martin Savidge about the latest unemployment numbers in the U.S. and the future of the global economy.

Marcus Mabry, the international business editor of The New York Times, speaks with Martin Savidge about the global economy.

A migrant worker in Shanghai.

As demands for exports decline, Chinese companies are going out of business and leaving thousands of workers without jobs.

The business closures — from large shoe companies to the country’s many toy producers — have prompted an exodus of migrant workers from some major industrial cities, and there are worries that social unrest may intensify.

The “China Labour Bulletin” blog writes that many workers have moved back inland due to factory closures in coastal regions.

Blogger “David Dollar” visits one of these coastal regions — the Pearl River Delta. While businesses are suffering somewhat from sinking demands, they are also cautiously optimistic about other opportunities such as increased public spending and tourism.

The “Leavonomics” blog predicts that the Chinese government — which has already pledged a $570 billion infusion — will likely introduce additional measures to minimize social instability.

The “China Manufacturing Leadership” blog writes that Chinese manufacturers can remain competitive if they adapt their business model.

Though China initially claimed its economy could withstand the global financial crisis, Premier Wen Jiabao said on Thursday  that the impact has been worse than expected.

For more on world unemployment, read our Blogwatch: Recession fears mount across Europe.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user joeywan under a Creative Commons license.

Marcus Mabry, international business editor at The New York Times, speaks with Martin Savidge about deep-seated fears of a global recession and potential ways to regain confidence. He says that central banks may join in a coordinated effort to relieve the credit crunch in emerging markets over the coming weekend.

Marcus Mabry, the international business editor at The New York Times, speaks with Martin Savidge about the world economy and the financial crisis.