International

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 16:08 UTC

  Greek exit from the Euro could cost French taxpayers 66.4bn Euros, says report

  

  An exit of Greece from the Euro zone could cost the French taxpayer up to 66.4 billion Euros and saddle the country's banking system with 20 billion Euros in lost loans, according to a study published on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:53 UTC

  Economy receives Hollande with anaemic performance: zero growth in Q1

  

  France's economy stalled in the first quarter as household consumption flat lined, businesses pared back investment and exports slowed, underlining the challenge facing Socialist President Francois Hollande who took office on Tuesday.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:47 UTC

  Hollande names parliamentary leader and Germany expert as Prime Minister

  

  French President Francois Hollande named veteran Socialist parliamentary leader and Germany-expert Jean-Marc Ayrault as prime minister on Tuesday, an appointment which may help smooth negotiations with Berlin on tempering austerity in Europe.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 15:40 UTC

  New elections in Greece; Hollande flies to meet with Merkel in Berlin

  

  Attempts to form a government in Greece collapsed on Tuesday rattling financial markets at the prospect of extremist parties opposed to the terms of an EU bailout could sweep to victory and push the Euro zone crisis into a dangerous new phase.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 08:30 UTC

  Hollande is sworn as French president and flies to talks with Merkel in Berlin

  

  Socialist Francois Hollande is to be sworn as France's president Tuesday before naming a prime minister and dashing to Germany to battle with Berlin over how to tackle Europe's debt crisis.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 08:16 UTC

  Italian lawmakers support “a more relevant role” for Argentina in the Malvinas dispute

  

  Forty-eight Italian senators and lawmakers expressed their public support for Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands in a letter sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Argentine Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 01:36 UTC

  YPF’ golden boy in 2009 was offered the same job but his demands were considered ‘excessive’

  

  Miguel Galuccio the new CEO of seized oil corporation YPF had already discussed conditions with the Argentine government for the job back in 2009, reveals the Spanish press. At that time no agreement was reached because the salary and other conditions he demanded were considered excessive.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 00:52 UTC

  EU agrees to file a trade suit with WTO against Argentina’s import restrictions

  

  The European Union has agreed to file a trade suit against Argentina's import restrictions with the World Trade Organization (WTO), a senior Spanish government source said on Monday, reports Reuters.

• Tuesday, May 15th 2012 - 00:45 UTC

  Italian Army on call to deal with growing violence; links with Greek anarchists

  

  Italy's Prime Minister has not ruled out bringing in the army to deal with the increasing levels of violence across the country. PM Mario Monti raised alert levels Sunday at sensitive sites across the country after a rebel group shot and wounded the head of the state-controlled nuclear energy company, Ansaldo Nucleare.

• Monday, May 14th 2012 - 23:22 UTC

  Bio-fuels expert forecast Argentina will become EU main supplier in spite of Spain

  

  Bio-fuels expert Christopher Berg and head of F.O. Licht forecasted that Argentina this year will become the largest exporter of bio-diesel to the European Union in spite of the Spanish veto to imports in retaliation for the seizure of YPF.