
Financial market pressure on Italy intensified on Tuesday, sucking Europe's second biggest debtor nation deeper into the Euro area danger zone and prompting emergency consultations in Rome and among European capitals.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced Friday an early general election in November, four months early than scheduled, looking to capitalize on a slight upturn in opinion poll ratings.

The Spanish government's enthusiasm for an European Union free-trade agreement with Mercosur remains solid and Madrid seems willing to put some sectors of agriculture at risk in exchange for access to new markets for the country's multinationals.

The King of Spain will approve the appointment of Father John Pardo as head of the Catholic college in Valladollid.

Following the second rescue of Greece, Spain is the next candidate to request a major financial aid package according to William Hill one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom.

As the Euro crisis debt crisis expands, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou appealed to parliament to support a new cabinet appointed to push through painful economic reforms, saying a debt default would be catastrophic for the country and the European Union.

Spain has told the United Nations Committee of 24 (C24) that despite the “impasse afflicting the Brussels process”, Madrid's goodwill allows regional co-operation with Gibraltar and UK to continue under the Tripartite Forum.

The Gibraltar Government called this week on the Opposition to abandon attendance at the Committee of 24 and support Chief Minister Peter Caruana at the United Nations in October.

Spain's dealings with Gibraltar have the overriding objective of recovering sovereignty over the Rock, Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jiménez told parliament in Madrid this week.

Pressed hard by outraged farmers, the European Union farm chief on Wednesday increased his offer of compensation for the E. coli outbreak to Euro210 million.