ELECTIONS

With the call for a fresh round of snap elections to the Hellenic Parliament appearing closer by the hour, European central bankers are getting ready for the possibility Greece may depart the euro zone.

Athens and Paris have rebelled against Berlin-inspired austerity, but Dublin has taken the harsh medicine dutifully -- and, unlike its testy European peers, grimly borne budget cuts and tax hikes with minimal protest. That may be about to change.

Asian markets fell at week's end as Greece's inability to form a government, uninspiring Chinese industrial output growth and JPMorgan's trading losses affected investor sentiment.

Euro-zone paymaster Germany may be willing to consider additional measures to promote growth in Greece, but the Hellenic Republic must still carry out its previously agreed reforms, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag this weekend.

Egypt held the first-ever televised presidential debate in the Arab world on Thursday, featuring frontrunners Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, selected from among a total of 13 candidates.

A new poll will have to be called if parties cannot reach a consensus by next Thursday, as the risk of Greece's exit from the euro looms closer.

Papoulias's office said the president will meet Venizelos on Saturday.

Members of Green Alliance charged the authorities with fraud for their distant third place finish.

A political deadlock would result in new snap elections sometime next month -- thereby creating even more anger and concern among Greece?s nervous lenders, particularly Germany.

Asian markets fell on Friday as concerns surrounding Greece, weak industrial output growth in China and JP Morgan's trading loss dampened sentiments.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives added amendments to a Justice Department funding bill that would restrict taxpayer money from litigation involving voter ID laws, the health care law and other politically-divisive issues.

?The moment of truth is approaching for everyone,? said Kouvelis.

The administrative court suspended the election after it emerged the date had been wrongly set by an independent electoral commission, and not by the military council who rule the country.

The government is also permitting about 500 foreign observers, including 120 from the European Union, to monitor the elections.

Venizelos, the former finance minister, said he will ?explore all possibilities? in his quest to create an alliance with rival parties, including ND, Syriza and the Democratic Left.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Thursday are: Aegon N.V., Banco Santander, Alpha Natural Resources, Cisco Systems, CGG Veritas, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc and Unilever plc.

Political scepticism may mar the Algerian parliamentary election Thursday even as the ruling government aims at easing the pressure for democratic change created by the Arab Spring revolts last year.

In Athens, leftist Alexis Tsipras became the second political leader to try and form a government on Wednesday, after first placed New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras abandoned attempts on Monday.

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sensex closed at a four month low by shedding nearly 67 points on Wednesday as weak global trends triggered heavy fund outflows.The BSE bench mark 30 share index lost 66.60 points to reach 16,479.59, dragged down by sharp declines in Reliance industry and banking stocks. Reliance Industries dropped for the sixth day by losing 1.91 per cent to Rs 695.10 after it cut the estimates for actual natural gas reserves available in its Indian blocks.

A Greek sovereign default has always been a talismanic scare for the euro stakeholders. It would put the common currency under the greatest pressure since its creation, and shake the foundations of the currency bloc.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Wednesday are Demand Media Inc, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc, Fossil Inc, Banco Santander, EXCO Resources Inc, Ford Motor Company and Newmont Mining.