Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, under huge pressure from international markets and rebels in his party, tried to play his last cards on Monday to hang on to power and denied reports that he could resign within hours. Reports of a possible resignation had an immediate impact, boosting stock and government bond markets dismayed with the political disarray in Italy, which has dramatically worsened the euro zone debt crisis. But a denial by Berlusconi reversed the direction, indicating just how much markets would like to see him depart. Earlier, Giuliano Ferrara, editor of the Foglio newspaper and a former ... (full story)