The Irish Times - Friday, June 8, 2012DANIEL McLAUGHLIN and RONAN McGREEVYUKRAINE’S LEADERS hoped the Euro 2012 football championship would serve as a glowing advert for their country, but ahead of kick-off they face criticism over their handling of everything from opposition leaders to stray dogs, and from terrace racism to rocketing hotel rates.Warm hospitality awaits fans who venture to Europe’s third-largest country to watch the likes of Germany, England, France, the Netherlands and Portugal play group games on their way to what they hope will be an appearance in the July 1st final in Kyiv.But >>>

The European soccer championships in Poland and Ukraine kick off in Warsaw on June 8. RFE/RL takes a look at how Eastern Europe’s biggest sporting event in decades adds up. 2 -- the number of animals jostling for the mantle of the late Paul the Octopus, who won worldwide fame for predicting World Cup soccer results. Ukraine has a psychic Pig, a telepathic hog that will try to divine the outcomes of games, while Poland has Citta the Elephant. But the competition could stiffen. Other animals such as Ukraine’s Fred the Ferret have also been touted as having psychic talents. 3 -- the number >>>

The European soccer championships in Poland and Ukraine kick off in Warsaw on June 8. RFE/RL takes a look at how Eastern Europe’s biggest sporting event in decades adds up. 2 -- the number of animals jostling for the mantle of the late Paul the Octopus, who won worldwide fame for predicting World Cup soccer results. Ukraine has a psychic Pig, a telepathic hog that will try to divine the outcomes of games, while Poland has Citta the Elephant. But the competition could stiffen. Other animals such as Ukraine’s Fred the Ferret have also been touted as having psychic talents. 3 -- the number >>>

A tournament like Euro is more than just football as it represents a social celebration of human values  and humanity in general. When Poland and Ukraine were selected as the host nations of the Euro 2012, along with an opportunity for these footballing nations to rise up their past glory, it brought hope. The hope of economical and social development. While many were skeptic about their chances of hosting this tournament without any glitch, people within these nations were trying prove them wrong. Euro Polish fans at a match Euro In recent >>>

FANS attending Euro 2012 in Ukraine may be confronted by Europe’s briefest miniskirts and lowest-cut tops, but they will barely glimpse the day-to-day difficulties faced by women in the former Soviet republic, rights activists say. "Fans are going to see lots of attractive women and for many that’s going to reinforce the negative image about our women abroad," Anna Gutsol, founder of the Femen action group, said. "Most foreigners aren’t even going to begin to think how hard life for female Ukrainians is. They’ll >>>

Wed Jun 6, 2012 9:11am EDT (Corrects to remove any reference in paragraphs 47 and 48 to historical buildings being destroyed) By Natalia Zinets and Richard BalmforthKYIV, June 4 (Reuters) - A large digital clock, inexorably counting down to the kick-off of the month-long Euro 2012 soccer feast, looks out onto a broad Kyiv boulevard where metal barriers are going up to corral Europe's football faithful.This is a giant pedestrian 'fan zone', where outside screens will enable thousands of spectators to satisfy their soccer hunger through the month of June.The epicentre >>>

June 06, 2012 | by Muhammad Abe Prostitution, Players Conflict Add More Drama to Euro 2012 Ukranian women's rights group Femen has made it clear that they will be a presence at the Euro Cup 2012. (EPA/Sergey Dolzhenko) Related articles Football: The Untold Story of Poland’s Secret WWII Leagues >>>

“Fans are going to see lots of attractive women and for many that is going to reinforce the negative image our women have abroad,” said Anna Gutsol, founder and spokeswoman for the Femen political action group. “Most foreigners aren’t even going to begin to think how hard life for female Ukrainians is. They’ll just look at us like some kind of pretty piece of candy,” she said. Femen is notorious in Ukraine for its tactic of sending attractive young women to a public location to strip topless and shout about their causes, and loudly resisting police and security guards sent to quiet >>>

By Philip O'Connor KYIV | Tue Jun 5, 2012 7:22pm BST KYIV (Reuters) - With days to go before Euro 2012 starts, Kyiv should be preparing for a festival of football but the Fan Zone in the city centre, set to welcome fans from across the continent, has become a magnet for protest and dissent. On one side of Khreshchatyk boulevard, a short walk from the Olympic stadium and the heart of the pedestrianized zone where fans will gather to watch matches on giant screens, the Ukrainian flag lies draped over a row of white tents.This is not a show of support >>>

Welcome to BR5, your daily source of sports and pop culture news.With the UEFA Euro Cup 2012 beginning in a few days, there is a lot to talk about around the world of international football/soccer. Is Spain the team to beat after their World Cup victory in 2010? Will England be relevant again or was their loss to the United States in 2010 a look into the future of their program? And of course the biggest question when you think international football/soccer events: will topless protesters cause any significant logistical issues for the tournament’s host?You read that right. Leading up >>>