Greek government talks fail

Efforts to form a coalition government have failed, Greece’s socialist leader and former finance minister said tonight.

Evangelos Venizelos, who was the last of three party leaders to try to reach an agreement, said he would hand the mandate back to the country’s president tomorrow.

He was speaking after meeting Radical Left Coalition leader Alexis Tsipras, whose party came second in Sunday’s election.

Tsipras said he would not join any government that intended to continue implementing the terms of Greece’s international bailout agreement, which he says is too harsh.