Greece

Greece raised the stakes on Thursday in its quest for EU help to tackle its debt crisis, warning it cannot achieve promised deficit cuts if its borrowing costs remain so high and may have to call in the IMF.

The country, however, strongly denied a report that it was scheduled to turn to the international lender as soon as April and said all options for getting support were still open.

A man walks past a Greek Piraeus bank office. The greek debt crisis is poised to undermine investment into Europe’s emerging economies. Euro zone finance ministers are likely to agree on Monday on a mechanism for aiding Greece financially, if it is required, but will leave out any sums until Athens asks for them, an EU source said on Saturday.

Policymakers have been debating possible financial support for the heavily-indebted European Union member state for more than a month, but have provided only words of support.

A protester from a communist linked union and a protesting police officer applause each other during a rally as more than 10 000 people marched through central Athens as part of a nationwide general strike against the government’s harsh new austerity measures. Greek police fired tear gas to disperse protesters throwing rocks and firebombs outside Parliament as more than 20 000 people marched through central Athens during a nationwide strike against the government’s harsh new austerity measures.