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Retails sales in the 17-nation eurozone dropped in November, official statistics showed Friday, as consumers felt the bite of austerity measures and feared the currency union could slip deeper into crisis.

Retail sales in the eurozone fell 0.8 percent compared with October and were down 2.5 percent from November 2010, according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency.

The steepest declines were seen in Portugal, which had to be bailed out in April and where sales fell 2.6 percent during the month and were down a massive 9.2 percent from a year earlier.

But even in richer states like Germany and the Netherlands, consumers were more reluctant to part with their money, with retail sales slipping 0.9 percent in both countries during November. That shows how the eurozone’s worsening debt crisis is taking its toll even on countries with strong economies.

For the whole European Union, which includes non-euro members like the U.K. and Sweden, November retail sales dropped 0.6 percent from October and 1.3 percent compared with a year earlier.

Consumers appear worried by high unemployment, which remained stuck at 10.3 percent in November _ unchanged from October but above the 10 percent seen a year earlier _ and a darkening outlook on the economy easy pay day loans.

The weak data also underlines how many people found themselves in a worse position at the end of 2011 than at the end of 2010 _ when there were hopes that the continent was turning a corner after two difficult years brought on by the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Spain’s unemployment rate was highest at 22.9 percent, up from 20.4 percent a year earlier. That’s more than four times as high as in Austria, where only 4 percent of people were looking for work. For the whole EU, the unemployment rate remained at 9.8 percent.

The dark mood is set to continue in the eurozone, with a Eurostat economic sentiment indicator falling 0.5 of a point to 93.3 in December, far below the long-term average of 100.

Italy and Spain, the eurozone’s third and forth largest economies which have been pulled into the eye of the crisis in recent months, grew especially pessimistic about the economy. Economic sentiment fell 4.6 points in Italy and 1.3 points in Spain.

In the 27 EU countries, economic sentiment was down 0.8 point at 92.

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Shares in UniCredit, Italy’s largest bank, slid Wednesday after the company priced its euro7.5 billion ($9.8 billion) cash call from shareholders at the bottom end of market expectations.

UniCredit shares dropped 14.5 percent lower at euro5.42, as investors were spooked by the scale of the discount in the company’s rights issue. Other European banks, many of which are looking to raise money to plug financial holes, also saw their share prices take a hit amid concerns that they too would be forced to price their cash calls at low levels too.

The aim of UniCredit’s rights issue _ shareholders have been asked to buy two new shares for every one they hold _ is to help the bank shore up its capital reserves, in line with European regulatory demands. Last month, industry regulator, the European Banking Authority, said the bank needed to raise around euro8 billion.

Earlier in the day, UniCredit shares were briefly suspended after the cash call was priced at a 69 percent discount to Tuesday’s close, much lower than most predictions. So far, only 24 percent of the shares on offer have been taken.

The discount was bigger than those that have been offered by UniCredit’s peers recently and knocked sentiment in Europe’s banking sector as a whole, notably of Germany’s Commerzbank AG, which has been asked to raise euro5.3 billion ($6.9 billion) by the European Banking Authority. Its share price fell 4 percent.

Last month, the EBA said European banks have to raise about euro115 billion ($150 billion) to meet a new standard meant to inoculate the lenders against market turmoil, including bad government debt.

European banks have billions of euros of risky government bonds on their books, and, as the continent’s crisis has deepened, investors have become increasingly concerned the lenders won’t be able weather all of the expected losses on those loans.

That, in turn, has made banks wary of lending to one another _ since they worry that one of their number could go under at any moment. When banks stop lending to one another and businesses, the entire economy seizes up.

Much of the current focus in Europe’s debt crisis has centered on Italy, the third-largest economy in the eurozone.

International markets have punished Italy in recent months for failing to come up with a coherent strategy to deal with its euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) debt mountain. That drove up the borrowing rates for the eurozone’s third-largest economy and effectively forced Silvio Berlusconi from office.

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Stephen Wancha was promoted to food and beverage director at Four Seasons St. Louis Hotel.

Wancha is responsible for overseeing Cielo restaurant and bar at the hotel as well as the food/beverage service for banquets and catering. He manages a staff of about 110 people.

Wancha previously worked at the Four Seasons Hotel here before briefly taking a job in food service at Four Seasons San Francisco Hotel cash till payday. He visited 91 regional wineries during his 18 months in San Francisco and says the contacts he made there will help Cielo bring new wines to St. Louis that aren’t usually available in the area.

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Britain’s Treasury chief defended Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to veto changes to the European Union treaty, saying Saturday the move protected U.K. economic interests.

Cameron rejected an invitation to join 26 European partners in a tighter financial alliance to save the euro which he said didn’t adequately protect Britain’s national interest and meant giving up too much control over regulation of Britain’s dominant financial sector.

The move isolated Cameron from the European Union and raised doubts about whether Britain realistically can remain a member of the 27-nation bloc _ prompting cheers from the prime minister’s typically anti-EU party and jeers from the opposition.

Britain’s typically brash media reflected the divide Saturday, with The Guardian headline “Cameron Cuts UK Adrift” batting against the Daily Mail’s “The Day He Put Britain First.”

Treasury chief George Osborne defended Cameron on BBC radio, saying he thinks Britons are pleased the prime minister “stood up for the British national interest.

“We have protected Britain’s financial services and manufacturing companies that need to be able to trade their products into Europe from the development of eurozone integration spilling over and affecting non-euro members of the EU,” he said.

Osborne added that if the prime minister had “caved in” to signing the treaty, the “full force” of the EU could have undermined British interests.

“We were not prepared to let that happen,” he said.

Osborne’s vote of confidence echoed support from other Conservative lawmakers over the prime minister’s move to set Britain apart.

But Cameron also is facing a chorus of criticism from the opposition Labour Party and growing tensions with his Conservative Party’s junior coalition partner, the Liberal Democrats.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has rejected talk of a rift between his Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives and backed Cameron’s move, but dissent bubbled up from elsewhere in the party.

One Liberal Democrat lawmaker accused Cameron of “betraying Britain,” while another called the fallout “a black day for Britain and Europe.”

Emboldened by Cameron’s move, Conservatives stepped up calls for a full re-negotiation of Britain’s position in the EU, but Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes shot down that idea in an interview with Sky News, insisting the issue was “not on the table” and telling the Tories to “calm down.”

In Italy, Premier Mario Monti has summoned union leaders to discuss his new austerity plan as lawmakers tinker with his tough proposals to try to rescue the country from its debt load and get the economy growing again.

Unions have bitterly contested Monti’s proposal to reform Italy’s generous pension system and have called a strike for Monday. Monti’s office said Saturday the premier, fresh from the EU summit in Brussels, would meet with union leaders on Sunday to discuss the proposals.

Monti has also proposed restoring a property tax suspended during Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s government. The proposal has renewed criticism of the tax-exempt status of the Catholic Church in Italy, even though the church merely enjoys the same tax-exempt status as any non-profit.

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Standard & Poor’s is threatening to downgrade the credit rating of 15 eurozone countries, saying the worsening debt crisis is affecting the bloc’s strongest economies.

The decision Monday to put 15 eurozone countries, including AAA-rating nations such as Germany and Luxembourg, on watch for a possible downgrade piles pressure on eurozone leaders to find a solution to the currency union’s debt troubles at a summit later this week.

S&P said its decision was “prompted by our belief that systemic stresses in the eurozone have risen in recent weeks to the extent that they now put downward pressure on the credit standing of the eurozone as a whole.”

The only two euro nations not put on credit watch were Cyprus, which was already under review, and Greece, which already holds the world’s worst rating.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BRUSSELS (AP) _ Efforts to stabilize Europe’s financial crisis were thrown into disarray late Monday as the 17 countries that use the euro braced for a possible downgrade of their credit ratings.

The leaders of France and Germany sought to restore confidence in the troubled European currency during the day with a joint call for changes to the European Union treaty so that countries using the euro would face automatic penalities if budget deficits ran too high.

Stock prices rose and borrowing costs for European governments dropped sharply in response to the changes proposed by French President Nikolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They said their proposals would prevent the kind of out-of-control spending and borrowing that led to the debt crisis that is engulfing Europe and threatening the global financial system.

But on Monday night two people familiar with the matter said Standard & Poor’s is examining the credit rating of all 17 eurozone countries for a possible downgrade as the continent’s debt crisis lingers. They said S&P is likely to make an announcement on putting the euro countries on “credit watch” after the closing of markets in the U.S. on Monday.

The people were speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The threat to downgrade all 17 eurozone countries _ including the ones that enjoy the stellar AAA-rating _ comes ahead of a crucial summit of EU leaders later this week. If there is widespread support at the summit, it is assumed that would be an important first step in bringing an end to the crisis, which has dragged on for more than two years.

“Our wish is to go on a forced march toward re-establishing confidence in the eurozone,” Sarkozy said at a news conference in Paris, with Merkel at his side. “We are conscious of the gravity of the situation and of the responsibility that rests on our shoulders.”

EU treaty changes could take months, if not years, to implement and don’t wipe away the mountains of government debt dragging down Europe’s economy. But preliminary buy-in Friday from the 17 countries that use the euro could set the stage for further emergency aid from the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund or some combination.

“The onus is still on the ECB to print money to make huge loans or bond purchases and draw a line under the crisis,” said Jennifer McKeown, senior European economist at Capital Economics. “Perhaps if other member states sign up to Merkel’s and Sarkozy’s proposals this week the (ECB) will step in.”

Sarkozy pledged to have a revised EU treaty ready for signing by March. It would then need to be ratified in each country, which could mean lengthy parliamentary debates or national referendums in some cases.

“A lot depends on the specifics and how these are going to be framed by lawyers,” said Piotr Maciej Kaczynski, an expert on EU constitutional issues at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels.

At the very least, it could take at least 18 months to ratify a new treaty once it has been signed by all heads of state, said Kaczynski. “That is a much longer timeline than what markets might want,” he said.

Bond-market analysts said they remain skeptical of Europe’s ability to prevent future profligacy. “If you say it strong enough and often enough maybe people will believe it,” said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. “But I don’t think the markets believe ‘Merkozy’ at this point.”

EU governments reacted with caution.

No other EU leaders came out against the Franco-German proposals, but no strong statements in favor were immediately forthcoming. The reaction from Austrain Finance Minister Harald Waiglein was fairly typical: “There is nothing here that contradicts our position,” although more details are needed, he said.

The modern EU is based on a set of treaties, dating as far back as the 1950s, when the project of consolidating the continent began payday loan lenders. The treaties detail the rules that countries must follow and outline the mandates of institutions like the ECB. The most recent was the Lisbon Treaty, which was ratified in 2009, giving additional powers to the European Commission and European Parliament.

Sarkozy said he and Merkel would prefer that the treaty changes they’re proposing be agreed to by all 27 members of the EU. But he left the door open to an agreement only among the 17 euro countries and anyone else “who wants to join us.”

Sarkozy and Merkel discussed several broad changes for the EU treaty, but failed to provide much detail. The changes they outlined included:

_ Introducing an automatic penalty for any government that allows its deficit to exceed 3 percent of GDP. A majority of nations would need to oppose automatic sanctions for a country to avoid them.

Governments are supposed to abide by the deficit limit under existing rules, but many, including France, have flouted it. Further, punishment only occurs after a majority of euro countries votes to impose them.

_ Requiring countries to enshrine in law a promise to balance their budgets.

A key issue for the proposal’s final approval will be how much flexibility countries can have to run temporary deficits during economic downturns.

_ Pledging that any future bailouts would not require private bond investors to absorb a part of the costs, as was the case for the Greek bailout.

Germany had earlier insisted that Europe’s permanent bailout fund would demand private investors take losses if a country in the future needs rescuing.

_ Promising to not criticize or otherwise comment on the work of the ECB.

This is intended to ensure the bank’s independence and its ability to act without pressure from European leaders.

Sarkozy said more details would be included in a letter sent Wednesday to European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

After Sarkozy and Merkel spoke, stocks rose and borrowing rates for governments across Europe plunged, indicating a sharp rise in investor confidence in the continent’s ability to resolve the crisis.

France’s CAC-40 index climbed 1.2 percent, Germany’s DAX rose 0.4 percent and markets outside of Europe also pushed higher, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 1.2 percent.

French banks, which have been hit hard this year over fears about their large exposure to the government bonds of financially weak countries like Greece, saw some of the biggest gains.

Societe Generale’s stock price climbed 6.2 percent while BNP Paribas rose 4.9 percent. In Italy, shares of Unicredit rose 5.4 percent while Spain’s Santander rose 3.6 percent.

Worries about the stability of the euro reached a fever pitch in recent weeks as the yields on Italy’s bonds _ in a nutshell, its borrowing costs _ jumped above 7 percent. That is the level that eventually forced Greece, Ireland and Portugal to require bailouts. By comparison, bond yields in Germany, Europe’s largest and most stable economy, are roughly 2 percent.

Italian and Spanish bond yields fell sharply on Monday, an indication of growing investor confidence in their financial future. The yield on Italy’s benchmark 10-year bond fell from 6.65 percent to 5.93 percent.

Italy, whose government debt is equivalent to 120 percent of the country’s annual economic output, needs to refinance $270 billion of its $2.6 trillion of outstanding debt by the end of April.

The size of the problems facing Italy and Spain are considered too large for the existing funds available to the European Financial Stability Facility ($590 billion) and the IMF ($389 billion.) To boost the firepower of the IMF, several economists have proposed that the ECB lend to it.

The big threat to the global financial system is that Europe’s debt crisis could spiral out of control.

If governments default on their bonds, banks that own them could take a significant hit. It could become very difficult for these banks to borrow and nervous depositors could flee with their cash. In the worst case, a global financial panic could be triggered, in which banks all over are too skittish to lend to each other. That would cause a credit crunch that deprives businesses of the short-term financing they depend on for day-to-day operations.

With such fears in the air, the United States is ratcheting up its involvement.

Geithner will meet Tuesday in Germany with ECB President Mario Draghi and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble. On Wednesday, he travels to France for talks with Sarkozy and the prime minister-elect of Spain, Mariano Rajoy Brey.

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Trading has been temporarily suspended on the Egyptian stock exchange after its benchmark index spiked by 5 percent.

The surge reflects optimism stemming from the relative calm and a massive turnout that marked the country’s first parliamentary elections after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.

The Egyptian Exchange’s benchmark EGX30 index was up 5.08 percent within minutes of the start of trade on Tuesday. The broader EGX100 index surged 5.01 percent, prompting a halt temporary halt in trading guaranteed cash advance.

Brokers attributed the rally to optimism over the landmark elections that began on Monday. The vote, which continues on Tuesday, is widely seen as a pivot point in the country’s push toward democracy after roughly 30 years of Mubarak’s rule.

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UPDATED at 7:15 a.m. with more stories from early morning shoppers.

HAZELWOOD

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s on Thursday pushed Egypt’s sovereign credit ratings deeper into junk status, citing the country’s dire political and economic situation and the increased risk of civil strife.

The cut is the latest blow to Egypt, whose economy is reeling from nine months of protests and strikes since the mid-February ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. Last month, Moody’s Investors Service also cut its ratings for Egypt, citing the ongoing political challenges and the weak economy.

S&P said it cut Egypt’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign ratings to B+ from BB-, with a negative outlook.

“The downgrade reflects our opinion that Egypt’s weak political and economic profile … has deteriorated further,” the agency said in a statement.

In addition to the current wave of protests against the ruling military council, it cited the erosion of the country’s net international reserves and the risk of further unrest stemming from rising expectations.

“These challenges could arise if populist demands for greater political participation are thwarted, or from demands for improved living standards from different sectors of the population no matter who is governing Egypt,” the agency said.

The timing of the ratings cut is also troubling for Egypt, coming days before the Nov. 28 parliamentary elections _ the first since Mubarak left office. The fate of the elections is uncertain following the latest protests, in which demonstrators have called for the country’s military rulers to step down and transfer power to a national salvation government payday advance online.

Months of unrest have led analysts to cut forecasts for Egypt’s economic growth. A nation that just a few years earlier had boasted growth rates of 7 percent is expected to realize anemic growth of around 1 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Equally troubling has been the drop in international reserves, which fell from $36 billion at the end of December to $22 billion by the end of October. That decline, in part, has been linked to the Central Bank’s efforts to prop up the Egyptian pound.

The stock market’s benchmark index has shed almost 48 percent since the start of the year, losing around 190 billion pounds ($32 billion) and earning the dubious distinction of being among the worst performing in the world after Greece and Cyprus. On Thursday, the EGX30 index was up about 1.6 percent.

Bond and Treasury bill yields have climbed sharply, reflecting the premium the government must pay to borrow money, and the deficit is expected to climb above earlier forecasts of around 8.6 percent as officials are forced to increase spending to meet incessant popular demands for a boost in the standard of living.

“Following Egypt’s popular uprising of January 2011, public expectations regarding the government’s ability to promptly deliver improved living standards remain high,” S&P said.

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As protests erupted in Rome and other cities, Italy’s new premier unveiled his economic plan Thursday, vowing to spur growth yet fairly spread the sacrifices Italians must accept to save their country from bankruptcy and the eurozone from a disastrous collapse.

As Mario Monti spoke, riot police clashed with anti-austerity protesters in Milan, signaling the depths of resistance the economist-turned-premier will have to overcome if his plan is to succeed.

“The end of the euro would cause the disintegration of the united market,” the former European Union competition commissioner told the Senate ahead of a confidence vote on his one-day-old government. “The future of the euro also depends on what Italy will do in the next weeks. Also, not only.”

Monti formed his new government Wednesday, shunning politicians and turning to fellow professors, bankers and business executives to fill key cabinet posts.

A day later he revealed plans to fight tax evasion, lower costs for companies so they can hire more and possibly lower taxes rates for women, to encourage their increased participation in the work place. Hee warned Italians they must brace for more “sacrifices,” including the probable return of a property tax on primary residences.

“We must convince the markets we have started going down the road of a lasting reduction in the ratio of public debt to GDP. And to reach this objective we have three priorities: budgetary rigor, growth and fairness,” Monti said.

He said he would quickly work on lowering Italy’s staggering public debt, which now stands euro1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion), about 120 percent of its GDP.

“But we won’t be credible if we don’t start to grow,” Monti said.

His administration must restore confidence in the country’s financial future and avoid contagion that would worsen the eurozone’s debt crisis. Italy’s spiraling financial crisis helped bring down media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s 3 1/2 year-old government last week, after months of squabbling over how to save Italy from financial ruin.

Monti’s choice of unelected experts for his Cabinet and the prospect of tough reforms have fueled unrest. In cities from north to south, students clashed with police in protests against feared budget cuts Thursday, while previously planned transport strikes idled buses and trains.

Police in riot gear scuffled with students in Milan, as they tried to march to Bocconi University, which educates Italy’s business elite. Monti is Bocconi’s president.

“The government of the banks,” read one placard held by a youth in Milan.

In Palermo, Sicily, demonstrators hurled eggs and smoke bombs at a bank, and protesters threw rocks at police who battled back with pepper spray, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. One protester was injured in the head in Palermo, where police charged demonstrators who were trying to occupy another bank.

In Rome, hundreds of students gathered outside Sapienza University, while others assembled near the main train station. They marched toward the Senate, where lawmakers were holding a confidence vote in the evening on the new government.

Riot police in Turin reported several police injuries as they held back protesters trying to break through barriers in three locations.

Last week, parliament gave final approval to a package that will reform pensions, slash state spending and open up the economy. But Monti strongly suggested that much harsher medicine was needed to heal Italy’s finances and revive the stubbornly stagnant economy direct payday lenders.

He indicated Italians would be paying new taxes. Italy’s lack of a property tax on primary residences _ a move backed by Berlusconi_ is “a peculiarity, if not an anomaly” in Europe, Monti said.

Monti, who also is serving as finance and economy minister, said if Italy fails to grow and does not stay united, “the spontaneous evolution of the financial crisis will subject us all, above all the weakest, to far harsher conditions.”

He pledged to tackle chronic and widespread tax evasion to increase revenue, but also to further his goal of social fairness. Hiding or underreporting income by the self-employed is rampant in Italy, and workers with paychecks have long complained they bear an unfair share of the nation’s high taxes.

Monti said his government would consider reforms to lower Italy’s “elevated” tax rates. Employers say high payroll taxes discourage them from hiring.

In the workplace, Monti called for structural reforms but added “we must avoid the anguish which accompanies it.”

The question of how long Monti’s government will last has sparked intense debate among Italy’s political parties.

Some, like Berlusconi’s longtime ally the Northern League, refuse to back Monti’s government. Monti has said he intends to govern until the legislative period expires in the spring 2013. The League, which is strong in the affluent north, wants elections earlier.

Holding both thumbs down _ in a sign of rejection _ at the end of Monti’s speech was Senator Roberto Calderoli, a Northern League leader.

Pro-Catholic parties have said they would give “carte blanche” to the Monti government.

Some in Berlusconi’s conservative People of Freedom Party have called for early elections, but top party officials have said they will support Monti in parliament to achieve anti-crisis measures.

Monti indicated he was looking for wide support among Italians.

To encourage more women in jobs _ at 40 percent, the rate of Italian women in the workforce is one of Europe’s lowest _ he said he would consider lower tax rates for them.

In Rome, protester Titti Mazzacane said she was skeptical about the new government. While Monti chose “decent and competent people,” the government … “is a little bit too free-market liberal. I am a bit scared,” said the 53-year-old elementary school teacher.

Public schools have been hard hit by budget cuts from previous Italian governments.

Antonio Romano, who was distributing leaflets to protesters, said the government’s strategy is “make the workers and retired people pay for the crisis, not those who provoked the crisis. I mean big business, bankers.”

A transit strike of several hours idled the subway system and many buses in Rome. Milan was hit by a similar transit walkout.

State railways said a 24-hour nationwide train strike, called by one small union, affected only 5 percent of the train rains.

Alitalia reduced flights Thursday, warning that a four-hour afternoon strike in the air travel sector could cause flight delays. The walkout mainly involved air traffic controllers and airport workers, not Alitalia personnel.

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Stocks rose in early trading Thursday on strong retail sales news and encouraging reports about corporate profits. The Dow Jones industrial average was headed for its best week over the last five.

Retail sales increased 1.1 percent in September, the biggest gain in seven months and twice what economists projected. Retail sales are a key barometer of consumer spending, the biggest contributor to economic activity.

Google Inc. surged more than 6 percent after reporting that its online advertising and search dominance helped third-quarter profits rise 26 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 101 points, or 0.9 percent, to 11,579 at 10:02 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 13, or 1.1 percent, to 1,218. The Nasdaq composite index rose 32, or 1.2 percent, to 2,653.

The Dow is up 4.2 percent for the week, putting it on track for its best week since the week ending Sept. 16.

Apple Inc.’s new iPhone goes on sale today. Record-setting early orders for the iPhone 4S showed why the company has thrived despite the weak economy. Apple shares rose more than 2 percent before the market opened.

European markets extended an eight-day rally despite an overnight downgrade of Spain by Standard & Poor’s and warnings from Fitch about big banks. Food and soap company Unilever PLC announced a major acquisition, and Swiss agrochemicals firm Syngenta reported strong third-quarter sales.

Retail sales are the government’s first look at consumer spending each month. Consumers account for 70 percent of economic activity. If they cut back, a recession is more likely. When they spend more, economic growth is more likely.

Google reported late Thursday that its third-quarter revenue was one-third higher than last year. It was Google’s fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. Google is doing well because of the reach of its search engine and the effectiveness of its ads.

The government also said Thursday that businesses added to their stockpiles for the 20th consecutive month while sales rose for a third straight month. The increase suggests businesses remained confident enough to keep stocking their shelves.

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