Finance

About 400 000 people in Italy, working on temporary contracts, may lose their jobs in late 2008 due to the global financial crisis, said Fulvio Famoni representative of the oldest and one of the largest unions in Italy, "CGIL". The global financial crisis has seriously affected the labor market in Italy. Many large companies, including automobile concern, "Fiat", were forced to introduce compulsory leave thousands of employees. December 31 contract expires a lot of seasonal workers who are most likely not be renewed.

Iran's economy can cope, even if oil prices fall to $ 5 per barrel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted by the AP. According to Ahmadinejad, or the global financial crisis and falling oil prices will harm Iran. He said that after the political failures, the West faces recession on ordinary Friday, OPEC, and in which Iran has said that the price of oil fell to less than 44 dollars per barrel.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pledged to deepen cooperation between the two countries on overcoming the global financial crisis, reports the AP. During the meeting, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation in Peru, Medvedev said that the current problems of the world "should not prevent the two countries to discuss the utility of strategic co-operation in its entirety.

The results from the failure of the local elections on Sunday in Venezuela, because not only the president, Hugo Chavez, but opposition. According to the interpretation of the election of Chavez was a confirmation of the course, which took the country opposition to predict significant changes in the behavior of voters. So far, 95% of the vote is calculated, and they say, Chavez and his supporters are socialists won in 17 states. Opposition wins so far in 3 countries, and between them and the most populous - Miranda and Zulia.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris to try to convince her to support European economic rescue programs. The meeting was attended by ministers of both countries. Some time ago, it became clear that the commission plans to promote the program to 130 billion euros to address the global financial crisis. France and Germany will follow the example of Great Britain, as the sharply reduced value added tax, Merkel said after meeting with Sarkozy.

President-elect Barack Obama announced his economic team at a press conference in Washington at about 19:00 local time. For the future Minister of Finance, as expected, was appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve System in New York, Timothy Geithner. Lawrence Summers, who was also tipped for the post of Finance Minister, Mr Obama said the head of the National Economic Council at the White House. Summers, former Treasury in the Clinton administration.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said the U.S. should adopt a new plan to stimulate the U.S. economy. This RIA Novosti reported. "I have asked my economic team to develop recommendations for this plan over the next two months to consult with Congress, the administration and the Fed," Obama said preskoneferentsiya in Chicago.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas put an ultimatum to the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas", which is the de facto control over Gaza. However, Lenta. ruLider Fatah said that if Hamas did not return to the negotiating table, we will call early presidential and parliamentary elections. The Palestinian Authority has lost control of the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007, when Hamas militias took over the sector teritroriyata Fatah. After admitting defeat in the Gaza Strip, Abbas said that Hamas government headed by Ismail Haniyeh illegal.

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said today that Kosovo does not take a six-point plan of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, because it meets the basic elements of the territorial integrity of Kosovo. This was announced by Europe. BG "six-point plan for the UN plan, which ignores the Kosovo institutions and, as it is presented to the merits question the sovereignty of Kosovo. Thus, we can not accept the plan, "said Sejdiu. He added that Pristina will keep unchanged its position on this issue, that the plan already adopted by Belgrade.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he sees opportunities to improve strained relations with the United States after President Barack Obama took office. "In this situation, new opportunities," said Medvedev told reporters in the Urals city of Izhevsk, where the visit, according to Reuters.