Topic: Politics and Government

Greece is back on top of the international economic and political agenda after a brief respite. How can you build a firewall around your portfolio to insulate yourself from the big fat Greek mess?

The Islamist candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood will face former President Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister in a runoff to become Egypt’s first freely elected president, several independent vote counts concluded Friday morning, the NYT reports.

Uncertainty over the fate of the euro currency is already dampening U.S. economic growth and any significant worsening of the crisis would deal a blow to a recovery that is gradually gathering steam.

The Spanish contestant in the pan-European singing show “Eurovision” has said her crisis-hit country would struggle to host the next event if she were to win the competition, according to various reports.

Many government and corporate workers in Spain  are  looking for safer havens for their money, transferring their spare cash to stronger euro zone countries like Germany “on a daily basis.” The NYT reports.

With concern growing about the future of the euro zone, analysts are now debating ideas that, until recently, were considered unthinkable.  One topic being bandied about is the viability of capital controls. 

Shares in Spain's fourth-biggest lender Bankia SA were suspended on the Madrid stock exchange on Friday, ahead of an evening announcement when the bank is expected to ask the state for a rescue of more than 15 billion euros ($19 billion).

Supporters of independence for Scotland will launch on Friday what they say is the biggest grassroots campaign in Scottish history, a move that could result in the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain.

The Romney campaign is actively recruiting testimonials from workers who have had positive experiences with Bain Capital, the New York Times reports.

Widely despised politicians in Greece and Italy bungle along as people cry out for strong leadership, raising the question why these leaders have failed so spectacularly.

India has threatened to ban European airlines from its airspace if Brussels sanctions Indian carriers in a dispute over an EU plan to charge carriers for their pollution. The FT reports.

Some of Europe’s biggest fund managers have confirmed they are dumping euro assets amid rising fears over a possible Greek exit from the euro zone and single currency turmoil, the Financial Times reports.

Indonesia's central bank is set to limit the maximum stake a single shareholder can take in the country's banks to below 50 percent, a move that could scupper Singapore-based DBS Group's $7.3 billion bid for Bank Danamon.

The framework for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between South Korea and China may be ready in two years, said the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, adding that there was little opposition to the trade pact.

China's new push to open state controlled industries may look bold after a decade of stuttering privatization progress, but Beijing faces stiff resistance from vested interests in its effort to extend its World Trade Organisation dividend.