So this is it. After three years of high drama, the European Union is staring at its first ever sovereign default. And ironically, unlike every other deadline so far, this one looks set to happen precisely on time. At 8pm GMT on Thursday, the authorities will know - or have a very good idea - how many of Greece's international creditors have accepted its €206bn (£172bn) bond-swap offer. The results will probably take a few days to come out - Athens has to put its decisions through Brussels' sluggish decision-making processes. But this time it isn't up to the politicians so the possible outcomes are clearer: A ... (full story)