France's Christine Lagarde was named today to be the first-ever female chief of the IMF, facing an immediate crisis as violent Greek anti-austerity protests rocked the stability of the eurozone.

The French finance minister, widely respected for her leadership during Europe's financial crisis over the past three years, was chosen to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned abruptly on May 18 after being arrested in New York for the alleged sexual assault of a hotel maid.

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