Eurodrama

Stocks rallied in Europe in the first session since S&P downgraded Austria and France. After the close, S&P cut the rating of the euro-region’s bailout fund, to AA+ from AAA.

IMF talks

Greece sent senior officials to Washington yesterday for meetings with the International Monetary Fund as it raced to break a deadlock in debt swap talks.

Piers pressure

The editor of Britain’s Daily Mirror said illegal phone hacking may have occurred at the tabloid, edited for almost a decade by CNN interviewer Piers Morgan.

Conn. heat

Federal prosecutors in Connecticut, home of many hedge funds, are targeting insider trading and similar crimes, according to the state’s US attorney.

Action!

A committee of the American Federation of Television Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has reached an agreement for the two entertainment unions to merge.

Marts closed

US markets were closed yesterday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.