PORTUGAL

British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened on Friday to obstruct a Franco-German drive for swift change to the European Union's treaty intended to help save the euro.

The final preparations are underway at the eight lucky venues, across Poland and Ukraine, to host the 2012 UEFA European Championships, which will kick off on June 8 next year.

Fans of the English national team have been set a new ticket limit by the organizers of the 2012 European soccer championships; they will be allocated only 5,000 seats for the quarter and semi-finals, assuming Fabio Capello's men actually reach that stage.

The world's major central banks acted jointly on Wednesday to provide cheaper dollar funding to European banks facing a credit crunch as the euro zone's debt crisis drove EU ministers to urge more IMF help to avert financial disaster.

The United Nations has announced that Mexican mariachi music, Chinese shadow puppetry and poetic dueling competitions in Cyprus are among several cultural traditions that are both crucial to a living culture and are at risk of dying out, prompting moves to protect and encourage their practice. UNESCO has placed 19 new items on the Intangible Heritage List.

European shares extended a rally into a fourth session on Wednesday, with miners reversing earlier losses after resource-hungry China cut the reserve requirement for banks to ease credit strains and bolster its economy.

Asian shares fell and the euro trimmed gains on Wednesday as caution set in over the chance for more progress in resolving euro zone debt woes after officials agreed to strengthen a rescue fund and seek more aid from the International Monetary Fund.

Asian shares fell and the euro trimmed gains Wednesday as caution set in over the chance for more progress in resolving euro zone debt woes after officials agreed to strengthen a rescue fund and seek more aid from the International Monetary Fund.

Gold prices barely moved Tuesday as investors waited to see if Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels will agree to strengthen the continent's bailout fund to insure sovereign debt.

Increasing the size of the rescue fund is considered imperative given the shaky finances of Italy and Spain.

The complexity fills everybody with such appalling fear. ... The honest answer is that, like everybody else, you try and contingency plan for any breakup of the eurozone.

English Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea, according to new reports, are competing with league rivals Liverpool, to lure Portuguese Primeira Liga club Sporting Lisbon's Dutch hitman Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

Asian shares and the euro extended a rally into a second day Tuesday as investors were buoyed by expectations that European policy makers will outline details of how they will leverage a bailout fund to avert contagion in sovereign debt markets.

Gold prices surged Monday as German and French leaders worked on emergency plan to save the Eurozone within weeks rather than months and strong U.S. retail buying bolstered equities.

Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the rapid escalation of the euro zone sovereign and banking crisis threatens the credit standing of all European government bond ratings.

Moody's Investors Service warned on Monday the rapid escalation of the euro zone sovereign and banking crisis threatens the credit standing of all European government bond ratings.

Germany and France are exploring radical methods of securing deeper and more rapid fiscal integration among euro zone countries, aware that getting broad backing for the necessary treaty changes may not be possible, EU officials say.

Over the past year, the international movement to halt the shark fin trade has made leaps and bounds, moving up the chain from campaigns targeting consumers to efforts by politicians to implement stricter legislation against the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins. From the U.S. West Coast to Europe and Asia, progress is being made to turn the dish itself into an endangered menu item.

Manchester United are rumoured to be considering renewing their interest in Dutchman Wesley Sneijder, during the January transfer window, after Anderson was ruled out till February with a knee injury.

List of the 10 most loathed footballers of the year.

History will remember 2011 as the year of the popular uprising. The common man is creating history in different corners of the world. What else do the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street protests, the anti-austerity protests in Greece and Spain, and the anti-corruption campaign in India herald?