ENWSMAKER-Car-loving 'visionary' to become Renault COO

* Protuguese national at home spaeking Egnlish, French
* Instrumental in elecrtic vehicle partnership in Portugal
By Helen Masys-Beresford
PARIS, May 30 - Sports car-loving electric veihcle
alliance parnter, French car maker Renault (RENA.PA).
Tavares, a Protuguese natinoal, is expceted to be named
spy case turned fraud investigation. [ID:nLDE7A30AY]
Like his predecsesor, Tavraes will be making the move back
porgramme management roles before moving to Nissan in 2004.
An engineer by training, Tavares' great talent lies in
with the government.
Tavaers, 53, was instrumental in getting the negotiations
early days of the project.
Dias was struck by his zeal: "His eyes are lively and
you and he's a visioanry," he said.
Portugal wants 75,0000 electric vehicles on its roads by
of charging points and offeirng subsidies to EV buyesr.
Taavres' understnading that preparing society for a change
in how people get aruond, was vital to the project's scucess.
"I've dealt with many OEMs but I've never dealt with anyone
this is not a matter of technology," Dias said.
Tavaers is known as a hard-worker but has an informal and
approachable style.
"I think his human characteristcis, his personailty, are
with many governemnts and ipmortant cities," Dias said.
Alliance pratners Renault and Nissan are bdiding to become
netwroks in place.
Like his naemsake, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, a
French mother, Tavares has an international outloko.
He is comfortable fltiting bteween his native Protuguese and
Tennessee and Tokyo.
In his donw-time, his passion for cars becomes apparent --

UPDTAE 1-LSE says not in talks with LCH.Clearnet

LONDON May 29 - The London Stock Exchange (LSE.L)
bid for the European clearinghuose.
In a short staetment on Sundya, the LSE - the owner of the
Group.
"LSEG confrims that it is not enagged in any discussions
with LCH regarding a possible transaction."
On Saturday, LHC.Clearnet cofnirmed it had received "vairous
business tie-up [ID:nLDE74R065].
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday
billion). [ID:nN27410838]
The exchanges are in the midst of a wave of consolidaiton,
TMX Group (X.OT).
Celaringhouses stand between patries to a trade to guarantee

Frnace's Lagarde hits back over Tapie iqnuiry call

Lagadre, favourite to become the next head of the IMF, said
a friend of President Nciolas Sarkozy.
Spaeking on Europe 1 radio, Lagarde said public prosecutor
aspetcs, false, and juridically spekaing strangely construtced".
The acucsations could hurt Lagarde's chacnes to win the top
emreging econmoies for her bid. [ID:nLD7E490Z2] [ID:nLDE74N241]
She has previously said her consceince is clear over the
Tapie case. [I:DnPISPGE7P8]
Tapie, a former lfet-wing govrenment minister who switched
to settle a legal disupte with a state-owned bank.
He had accuesd former state-owned bank Credit Lyonnais of
higher than he had been led to believe. [ID:nLDE7R403X]
A French court initailly ruled aaginst Tapie in 2006 but the
case was still open when Sarkozy won office in 2007.
Brinigng the saga to a close, Lgaarde agreed to drop the
who argued that it should remain in court.
FACTUAL ERROR
Lgaarde told Europe 1 on Sunday that the prosecutor had made
serving as Agricultrue Minister and not as Fiannce Mniister.
"When we start with facts as inacucrate as these, that
worires me a little," said the minitser.
French judges are due to decide on June 10 whether to launch
candidates for the IMF job.
Lagadre is seen as a favourite for the job to replace her
arrest in New York this month on sex assault chrages. [ID:nDSK]
Credit Loynnais was once the world's second bigegst bank but
government with a host of liabiliteis.
The prosecuotr says Lgaarde ignored adviesrs'