A senior Ukrainian official said his country would not disappoint in the wake of a Friday UEFA decision not to remove the former Soviet republic as a co-host of the Euro
2012 football championship.
"The UEFA informed us, that we should put more effort into infrastructure, and I can assure you this will be done in the very shortest time frame," said Hryhory Surkis, chairman of the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU). "The UEFA will be satisfied with us."
"We appreciate the decision," Surkis said, in comments reported by the Interfax news agency. "It means that we can continue preparations."
Surkis led the Polish-Ukrainian effort to win the right to host the European Championships and has been in the forefront of critics of the Ukrainian government for failing to take its obligations to get ready to host Euro 2012 seriously.
Shares fell 2.1 per cent Friday on the Seoul stock exchange on general recession fears. South Korea's won dropped against the dollar.
When the Spirit rover landed on Mars five years ago, no one expected it or its sister rover Opportunity to make it to their first birthdays, let alone their fifth.
Amelie Mauresmo fell victim to a leg injury after less than half an hour on court Friday to hand over a 4-0 victory which put French compatriot Marion Bartoli into the final of the Brisbane International.
Mumbai-based movie Slumdog Millionaire won five prizes Thursday night at the Critics Choice Awards, cementing its position as a surprise favourite just as the Oscar season moves into high gear.
After the Taipei Zoo received two giant pandas from China, another Taiwan zoo said Friday it is seeking to receive a pair of pandas from China.