Greece wins bailout extension

Debt-laden Greece has secured a long-sought extension from its creditors to meet its fiscal targets, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras told parliament on Wednesday. "We have obtained the extension," Stournaras said, shortly after telling reporters that he had finalised with EU-IMF creditors a new austerity agreement, although it still needs coalition government approval. Stournaras said he had agreed the 13.5-billion-euro ($17.5-billion) austerity package that is necessary to unlock stalled loans for struggling Greece. A finance ministry source said two draft laws relating to the package would be presented to parliament next week, to be voted by November 12. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's political allies, the socialist and moderate leftist parties, have balked at calls to lower severance pay and facilitate layoffs while the country faces record unemployment. A finance ministry source had said earlier that the government hoped to present the deal to a Euro working group meeting on Thursday, ending a negotiation that has dragged on since July.