Société Générale chief Daniel Bouton plans to leave his post to protect the French banking giant from criticism directed at him personally, according to an interview with Le Figaro.

Societe Generale Chief Reportedly Vows To Resign

By JOHN C.K. DALY
UPI International Correspondent WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- As Europeans shiver amid the Gazprom-Ukrainian natural gas dispute, pundits bloviating on the nefarious designs of the Kremlin are overlooking one simple truth about the altercation -- the world's largest gas company is simply behaving the way that hordes of American advisory teams have urged the Kremlin to do since 1991: as free market capitalists, albeit nearly two decades late. Stripped of rhetoric, after 17 years of a tempestuous relationship, Gazprom has finally decided to insist that Ukraine pay near European market prices for its natural gas imports.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The entertainment industry in Hollywood has not escaped the economic turmoil in the United States, industry officials say.

PARIS, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The mandate to increase credit to customers built into the French government's financial bailout plan could be problematic for banks, a noted economist said.

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The consortium for the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea will pick a financial overseer next week, officials said.

By MARTIN WALKER
UPI Editor Emeritus ZURICH, Switzerland, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Exposed European and Chinese banks could spread the U.S. financial crisis much wider as Congress hesitates over the $700 billion rescue plan.