EUROPEAN UNION

Defections weaken Assad; protesters plan 'day of rage'

More high profile defections from the Baath Party over the last two days have weakened Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad even as the world is keenly watching how the opposition’s planned ‘day of rage’ will unfold today.

Italy and France propose Libyan oil boycott

Italy and France have called on the international community to cease shipping oil products to the regime of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi and also asked market operators not to purchase Libyan crude oil.
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Biogen Idec Shares Hit New Life-Time High

Shares of Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) touched a new life-time high of $83.99 on Tuesday. The company said it received positive opinion for Avonex Pen against multiple sclerosis from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Deficit Deal Deadline is 2012 Election

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK on Monday - reacting to a 2 year warning on the nation's pristine credit rating - said Democrats and Republicans needed to reach a deal on cutting the nation's long-term deficits ahead of the November 2012 election, cautioning against waiting for the perfect political moment to tackle the problem.
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EU to probe Internet access, mulls stricter rules

The EU will investigate whether telecoms operators are providing fair internet access and might introduce stricter rules to protect consumers, EU Telecoms Commissioner Neelie Kroes said on Tuesday.

'Congress Will Always' Raise the Debt Limit, Geithner says

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's statements on Sunday that Congress will raise the U.S. debt ceiling in the coming months are in line with separate recently-proposed long-term plans by the Democratic and Republican leadership in Congress and the White House to increase the debt by trillions of dollars in the next decade.
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Gold spikes to new record just $5 short of $1500 per ounce

Gold stayed above $1480 per ounce in Asian and European trading, and then experienced a sudden spike $15 upwards to new record prices yet again at the beginning of the New York trading session. Prices take support from worries over euro zone debt and inflation in Asia after China opted to raise reserve requirements again.

Serbian opposition demand early election

Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have gathered in Belgrade, Serbia, demanding early election, and expressing their unhappiness with low wages and official corruption..

EU-Japan trade deal on cards, affirms Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Friday affirmed the possibility of the European bloc signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan. We hope to sign the trade agreement with South Korea and Japan, Zapatero said at the meeting of business forum in southern Chinese island of Hainan.
Traders work in the oil options pit on the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange in New York City

How to Trade an Irrational and Fickle Market

The market is incredibly fickle, especially for fundamental analysis-driven traders and analysts. The frustrating thing is that what mattered just a few months ago may not mean anything at all today.
Libya's ex Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa

The strange ongoing odyssey of Moussa Koussa

Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who defected to Britain and is now attending the peace summit in Qatar, might decide not to return to the UK, European and Arab diplomats have suggested.
Libya's ex Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa

EU sanctions against Koussa lifted

The European Union (EU) said it has lifted sanctions against Moussa Koussa, the most prominent member of Moammar Gaddafi’s regime to have defected.

Who Holds US Debt? (And Why This Question is Important)

US Treasuries holders’ ability and willingness to buy more Treasuries or decision to sell existing holdings will determine the long-term interest rates of the US government, which in turn influences the cost of capital for the US private sector.
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EU, IMF, ECB meet in Lisbon next week for bailout aid

Officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund will discuss the technical details of Portugal's bailout aid next week, the European Commission said on Sunday.

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