The International Monetary Fund said Friday it was not prepared to adjust the formula for its SDR currency, in the wake of calls for it to add China's yuan to the four-currency basket.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Diplomatic deadlock is curbing China's will to provide cash to help end the euro zone crisis after Europe spurned the simplest of Beijing's three key demands, two independent sources have told Reuters.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Diplomatic deadlock is curbing China's will to provide cash to help end the euro zone crisis after Europe spurned the simplest of Beijing's three key demands, two independent sources have told Reuters.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Diplomatic deadlock is curbing China's will to provide cash to help end the euro zone crisis after Europe spurned the simplest of Beijing's three key demands, two independent sources have told Reuters.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Diplomatic deadlock is curbing China's will to provide cash to help end the euro zone crisis after Europe spurned the simplest of Beijing's three key demands, two independent sources have told Reuters.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Diplomatic deadlock is curbing China's will to provide cash to help end the euro zone crisis after Europe spurned the simplest of Beijing's three key demands, two independent sources have told Reuters.

The London stock market closed lower on Thursday as investors continued to worry about the eurozone debt crisis.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund urged Italy Thursday to act quickly fill its damaging political vacuum, and China said it was willing to help maintain global financial stability that was being threatened by the euro zone crisis.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund called on Thursday for political clarity in efforts to tackle the debt crisis that has gripped Italy, saying uncertainty around who would succeed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was fuelling market volatility.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain faces growing shortages of some medicines as low prices relative to other European countries fuel exports from the country, leaving many pharmacies scrabbling for supplies, according to a survey of pharmacists.

London stocks closed sharply lower on Wednesday amid uncertainty about the future political leadership of heavily indebted Italy and Greece.

The London stock market closed higher on Tuesday amid signs of progress in the eurozone's plans for dealing with high government debt levels in Italy and Greece, dealers said.

The London stock market closed lower on Monday amid growing worries about debt in Italy and Greece.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, England (Reuters) - In Tunbridge Wells, a typically English small town south of London, workers and shoppers around the modern shopping mall talk readily about their frustrations with the EU and their desire for a referendum that could lead Britain to the exit.

LONDON (Reuters) - Twenty five years ago, digital clock leaves flipped over to 9 a.m. and the London Stock Exchange opened to computerized trading in a deregulatory coup that transformed British investment banking -- the "Big Bang."

London shares ended lower in cautious trade on Tuesday as investors waited in hope for a second EU summit to produce a long-awaited plan to solve the eurozone debt crisis.

London shares extended gains on Monday, picking up on apparent progress at a weekend EU summit on the eurozone debt crisis.

London shares fell from early highs on Monday after Germany warned against undue enthusiasm that a lasting solution to the eurozone debt crisis would emerge from an EU summit next weekend.

London shares closed lower on Thursday, pulled down by the banking sector on heightened fears over lender exposure to the eurozone debt crisis and the potential impact of more recapitalisation.

London shares closed higher on Wednesday on news that Slovakia would soon back expansion of a eurozone rescue fund despite a initial vote against it.