EUROPEAN UNION

Claiming election fraud, nearly 100 Tunisians protested Tuesday outside the headquarters of the independent electoral body, saying the country's first-ever elections have been marred.

Sarkozy compared Greece’s problems to Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008.

China, which has about $3 trillion in reserves, would likely want strong guarantees in exchange for any contributions it makes to save Europe.

WPP Plc , the world's largest advertising company, sought to reassure the market with a pledge of improving margins on Friday, after it cut as expected its 2011 outlook due to slowing growth in the U.S. and the euro zone debt crisis.

The head of Europe's bailout fund said Friday he does not expect to reach a conclusive deal with Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing but expects the surplus-rich country to continue buying bonds issued by the fund.

The head of Europe's bailout fund said Friday he does not expect to reach a conclusive deal with Chinese leaders during a visit to Beijing but expects the surplus-rich country to continue buying bonds issued by the fund.

The head of the eurozone's bailout fund is beginning attempts to persuade China to invest in a scheme to help rescue member countries facing debt crises while Beijing has made it clear that it will demand strong guarantees on the safety of any contribution it might make.

Spot gold held steady Friday, on course for its biggest weekly rise in 33 months, after the euro zone's last-minute deal on containing the debt crisis cheered investors, but a rebound in the dollar may weigh on prices.

Berlusconi’s promises have largely been met with derision, skepticism and scorn in Italy.

Barroso said the deal demonstrated how the European union (EU) can unite even during the most stressful of times.

EUR/USD may be at an extreme valuation, which may suggest a sell signal for the pair, according to a model produced from Deutsche Bank FX.

The Athens Stock Exchange surged as much as 6 percent in Thursday trading.

Euro zone leaders are as far as ever from finding a lasting solution to the bloc's underlying problem of economic divergence, despite their latest progress in managing the symptoms of its debt crisis.

Euro zone leaders struck a last-minute deal to limit the damage from the currency bloc's debt crisis early on Thursday but are still far from finalizing plans to slash Greece's debt burden and strengthen their rescue fund.

European leaders roundly hailed all the agreements.

Parties reached a deal late into the evening during marathon negotiations.

China is considering a proposal to set up a regional bank to help its small and medium enterprises invest in Southeast Asian neighbors, fund infrastructure projects and promote development in southwestern China, two independent sources said.

World stocks and the euro rose to their highest levels in nearly two months on Thursday after European leaders struck a deal to resolve a two-year-old sovereign debt crisis, which threatens the survival of the single currency.

European leaders agreed Thursday morning that banks and other major investors in Greek bonds must take losses of up to 50 percent to prevent a Greek government default. The rescue fund is a response to global pressure to lower Greece's debt burden and attempt to contain the spreading debt contagion that threatens the euro zone.

The European Central Bank's incoming president signalled on Wednesday the bank stood ready to carry on buying the bonds of troubled euro zone governments, suggesting he is ready to intervene to steady markets in the face of German misgivings.

The euro zone aims to leverage its 440 billion euro (383 billion pound) bailout fund, the EFSF, several fold but finance ministers will only agree the details of how that will be done in November, according to a draft statement to be issued after a summit on Wednesday.