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The European Central Bank is expected to hold back from policy moves when it meets on Wednesday, instead urging governments to address the euro zone's crisis, but it could indicate a readiness to cut interest rates as early as next month given a weakening economy and Spain's banking troubles.

Portugal will give ?6.6 billion ($8.2 billion) to its three largest banks to help them beef up their balance sheets. Receiving the capital injection are two private banks, Banco Comercial Português and Banco BPI, and state-owned Caixa Geral de Depositos.

A higher-than-expected 60.3 percent voted yes in the euro zone's only national referendum on the fiscal pact, a binding agreement which will tie the 25 signatories to hard budget targets and set fines for missing them.

Asian shares eased Friday, with China's factory activity data and a U.S. jobs report due later in the day making investors cautious as the escalating euro zone debt crisis threatened to further undermine growth worldwide.

World Bank president Robert Zoellick is calling for the issuiing of a supranational euro bond that would be backed by credit guarantees from stronger euro zone economies while providing cheaper funding to struggling ones.

While speculation swirls about whether Greece is going to drop the euro, the European Central Bank said on Wednesday that none of the eight countries trying to get in the currency bloc are ready to join.

Anti-treaty parties have gained significant support in the run up to Thursday's vote, with nationalists Sinn Fein rising to become the second most popular party, according to recent polls.

Greece's conservatives have regained an opinion-poll lead that could foreshadow the formation of a pro-bailout government committed to keeping the country in the euro zone, a batch of new surveys showed on Saturday.

European consumers are tightening the purse strings as their confidence in the region's economy continues to fade amid concern that the recession may worsen.

Spain may say on Wednesday how it will plug a hole of at least 8 billion euros ($10.21 billion) at Bankia, part of an effort to clean up a banking sector laden with bad debts and stop the country sinking further into the euro zone debt crisis.

Egypt went to polls Wednesday in country's first free election for a president after weeks of intense speculation and debate. The historic presidential election, contested by Islamists and secularists, heralds the setting up of a democratic system.

Serbia's rightist opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic was leading in a presidential run-off on Sunday against liberal incumbent Boris Tadic by 50 percent to 47.7 percent, according to a preliminary unofficial projection.

Spot gold rallied more than 2.6 percent on Thursday, its largest one-day gain since late January, as technical buy signals and new signs of a sluggish U.S. economy more than offset deepening despair over the euro zone.

Greece's center-right New Democracy party has a slight edge among voters over the Coalition of the Radical Left, or Syriza, party ahead of the June 17th parliamentary elections, according to a new opinion poll.

Fears are escalating across Europe that Greece will have to exit the euro zone.

Japan?s economy grew in the first three months of the year from the preceding quarter, boosted by reconstruction activities in regions hit by last year?s tsunami.

Tsipras has said he wants Greece to remain in the euro zone, but has demanded that bailout agreements be renegotiated by providing more favorable terms.

The comments come amid a growing chorus of European ministers openly discussing the possibility of a Greek exit from the single currency.

Last-ditch efforts to form a unity government on Tuesday failed, leading Papoulias to call these extraordinary measures.

Greece put a senior judge in charge of an emergency government on Wednesday to lead it to new elections on June 17 and bankers sought to calm public fears after the president said political chaos risked causing panic and a run on deposits.

The move comes after a final bid to form a government failed on Tuesday, raising the possibility of a Greek exit from the euro.

Disgraced French politician and former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn has launched a $1 million countersuit against the New York City hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault a year ago.

Greek leaders threw in the towel Tuesday and called for another poll after their repeated failures to form a coalition government and address the country?s monumental debt crisis.

President Karolos Papoulias suggested he may propose a government led by non-politician technocrats with broad national appeal, somewhat similar to what Italy adopted with Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into China fell in April compared to the same month last year, as investors, who are concerned about the renewed debt crisis in the euro zone, cut down on spending.

Euro-zone paymaster Germany may be willing to consider additional measures to promote growth in Greece, but the Hellenic Republic must still carry out its previously agreed reforms, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag this weekend.

A new poll will have to be called if parties cannot reach a consensus by next Thursday, as the risk of Greece's exit from the euro looms closer.

Papoulias's office said the president will meet Venizelos on Saturday.

A political deadlock would result in new snap elections sometime next month -- thereby creating even more anger and concern among Greece?s nervous lenders, particularly Germany.