France has becomes the first country in the European Union to bring in a tax on financial transactions.

GERMANY and France were split ahead of crucial talks tomorrow over how to strengthen shaky European banks and fight financial market contagion to prepare for a possible Greek default.

THE son of a former Irish EU commissioner and the markets editor of the Sunday Business Post are among the members of Charlie McCreevy’s new Brussels cabinet.

THE new president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, chairs his first meeting of policy-makers this week.

A war in Iraq would hurt the global economy, Europe’s top banker Wim Duisenberg said yesterday.