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BERLIN — After weeks of protests, Romania’s prime minister resigned Monday, the latest European leader to fall victim to a mood of public outrage over austerity measures and stagnant growth.
Europe’s banks reluctant to aid companies in need of cash
LONDON — European governments are not the only ones struggling with debt — so are some of the region’s companies.
Obama imposes freeze on Iran property in US
WASHINGTON — The White House moved to tighten sanctions against Iran on Monday because of the country’s suspect nuclear program, freezing all property of the Central Bank of Iran, other Iranian financial institutions and the Iranian government in the United States.
For both parties, a twisted path to financing a campaign
WASHINGTON — It is one of the most convoluted arrangements in Washington for complying with campaign finance laws — and that is saying something.
US closes embassy in Syria as mayhem escalates
BEIRUT — The United States closed its embassy in Syria on Monday and withdrew its staff in the face of escalating mayhem that U.S. officials blamed on the Syrian government’s unbridled repression of an 11-month-old uprising.
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BRUSSELS — The European Central Bank may forgo future profits on its Greek bonds as efforts remain under way to fill a financial hole that has been obstructing a second bailout for Greece.
As Syria wobbles, Iran feels the weight of an alliance
As anti-government forces in Syria’s violent uprising have increased the pressure on President Bashar Assad to step down, Iran, his main Middle East supporter, also finds itself under siege, undermining a once-powerful partnership and longtime U.S. foe.
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Iran said Tuesday that a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors visiting since the weekend had concluded “constructive and positive” talks with Iranian officials, with further discussions planned at an unspecified date.
A big Romney win in Florida bolsters his campaign
TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney rolled to victory in the Florida primary Tuesday, dispatching an insurgent threat from Newt Gingrich and reclaiming his dominant position in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
CBO says economy is projected to remain sluggish
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that the economy would remain sluggish, with high unemployment, and that the federal budget deficit would exceed $1 trillion in 2012 for the fourth consecutive year.
Riding personal data, Facebook is going public at $80–100 billion
Facebook, the vast online social network, is poised to file for a public stock offering Wednesday that will probably value the company at $80 billion to $100 billion, cashing in on the fuel that powers the engine of Internet commerce: personal data.
With a Barnes & Noble punch, clash of book titans revs up
In a sharp answer to Amazon and its expanding publishing efforts, Barnes & Noble said Tuesday that it would not sell books released by Amazon Publishing in its bookstores.
Clouds Expected for Groundhog Day
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, the annual holiday on which the most famous rodent resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania predicts whether winter will last another six weeks, or yield to an early spring. The groundhog, known as Punxsutawney Phil, emerges from his burrow each February 2nd. According to legend, if he sees his shadow upon emerging, he will be frightened into running back underground for six more weeks of hibernation. However, cloudy weather is expected for Punxsutawney tomorrow, meaning the groundhog will stay above ground, thereby predicting an early spring. Of course, the official Groundhog Day prediction has only been correct 39% of the time historically, so Phil may not be the best medium-to-long range forecaster.
Winter wallops west; Cambridge avoids the worst wild weather
The unusual dry spell that defined this winter for most of the continental U.S. broke last week as the Jet Stream resumed its more typical pattern. Heavy precipitation poured throughout the West and parts of New England, delighting skiers but resulting in slick roads and avalanches in mountainous areas.
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BAGHDAD — A series of explosions in Shiite neighborhoods here killed nine people and wounded dozens more Tuesday, the latest in a wave of sectarian attacks.
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WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that global growth prospects had dimmed as the sovereign-debt crisis in the eurozone entered a “perilous new phase.”
Obama sets goal of economy built for the long run
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pledged on Tuesday night to use government power to balance the scale between America’s rich and the rest of the public, seeking to present an election-year choice between his continued leadership toward an economy “built to last” and a Republican argument that the country would benefit from less federal intervention.
Pro-government Libyan militia routed from Gadhafi bastion
CAIRO — Forces loyal to Libya’s interim government were violently expelled Monday from a town long seen as supportive of Moammar Gadhafi, a local militia leader said Tuesday. The assault left at least four combatants dead and raised the specter of renewed conflict between revolutionary forces and those supportive of the old order.
Americans split on tax policy, NYT/CBS poll finds
It may come as no surprise, but Americans are deeply split along party lines when it comes to federal tax policy.
A new policy on privacy from Google, amid continuing social push
SAN FRANCISCO — Google said Tuesday that it would revise its privacy policies and terms of service to change the way it can use information that its customers provide.