Athens: Political parties supporting Greece's international bailout will begin forging a government on Monday after an election victory over radical leftists staved off the prospect of the debt-laden country leaving the euro and brought relief to global markets.
Conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras called for broad support after winning Sunday's election over the radical SYRIZA party, which had threatened to cancel the aid deal in defiance of the country's lenders.
"There is no time to waste," Samaras told reporters in Athens as jubilant, chanting supporters waved blue party flags. "A national salvation government must bring economic growth and reassure Greeks the worst is over," he said.
With 99 per cent of ballots counted, New Democracy had won 29.7 per cent of the vote, ahead of SYRIZA on 27 per cent. Samaras will need the support of the once-mighty PASOK Socialists, now humbled by angry Greeks, to form a government....
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10:09 AM, Jun 18, 2012
Singapore: The euro jumped to a one-month high and Asian shares rose on Monday after Greece's cliffhanger election delivered a slim parliamentary majority to pro-bailout parties, a result seen as crucial to European leaders' efforts to hold the euro together. US stock index futures and riskier commodities such as crude oil also rose, while gold fell after having gained for the past six sessions, when investors had looked to bullion...
07:21 AM, Jun 18, 2012
Athens: Greeks went to the polls on Sunday in an election that could decide whether their heavily indebted country remains in the euro zone or heads for the exit, potentially unleashing shocks that could break up the single currency. In an election fought over the punishing austerity package demanded by international lenders as the price of keeping Greece from bankruptcy, opinion polls showed the radical leftist SYRIZA party, which wants...
01:30 PM, Jun 17, 2012
