Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister has responded to the downgrading of Italy's debt rating by saying that "the beautiful ladies will have to pay for my favours". Berlusconi went on to say that Italy's trillion euro debt could also be partly repaid "in kind" initially for female world leaders with males being phased in by 2013.
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, responded "There isn't enough beer in the world, let alone Germany."
