UNITED STATES

Japan's Nikkei share average slipped on Tuesday but still hovered near the 9,000 level, with non-life insurers underperforming after MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings (8725.T) cut guidance on heavy losses on the flooding in Thailand.

Rating agency Moody's warned on Monday it may cut the triple-A ratings of France, the United Kingdom and Austria, while it downgraded the ratings of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta.

The U.N. human rights chief accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Monday of launching an indiscriminate attack on civilians, emboldened by the failure of the Security Council to condemn him.

Rating agency Moody's warned on Monday it may cut the triple-A ratings of France, the United Kingdom and Austria, while it downgraded the ratings of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta.

Two Democrats crash the biggest Republican conference of the year.

A U.S. market regulator is for now dropping insider trading cases against three Swiss asset managers, despite accusations that two of the defendants improperly thwarted its investigation, including by throwing out a BlackBerry.

Rick Santorum has surged into a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in a national poll on Monday, becoming the clear favorite of Tea Party voters and white evangelicals.

International business opportunities and trends depend on several broad factors: the economic growth of these countries, the ease of doing business there and the friendliness of their trade policies.

U.S. and European regulators approved Google Inc's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility and said they would keep a sharp eye on the web search giant to ensure patents critical to the telecom industry would be licensed at fair prices.

Tech blog Engadget is giving away five free Nokia Lumia 710 smartphones for Valentine's Day 2012, and if you want the gift deal, here's what you need to do. Go to the Engadget Web site and leave a comment on the contest page. Winners will be chosen at random, and it doesn't matter what you post in the comments. The catch is, you have to be 18, and the phones only run on the T-Mobile network, service not included. So, you get a free phone and then pony up for the data plan and contract.

The average fuel economy of 2012 model year vehicles is 14 percent higher than the same mark of just four years earlier, according to a University of Michigan study, confirming automakers' push to appeal to consumers' desires for more fuel efficient vehicles.

The Obama administration on Monday proposed hiring more prosecutors to pursue intellectual property crimes in the new budget as the entertainment industry pressures the Justice Department to crack down on copyright infringement and counterfeiting.

President Barack Obama proposed a $770 million aid package Monday for Arab countries undergoing democratic revolutions.

While Valentine's Day has always been sure to disappoint lonely hearts, this year's festivities also may dishearten the retailers used to sweetheart sales during the period, various economic indicators suggest.

President Obama released his 2013 budget proposal Monday, Feb. 13, which aims to reduce the deficit $4 trillion over the next 10 years, bolstered in part by a $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue.

U.S. and European regulators approved Google Inc's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility on Monday and said they would keep a sharp eye on the web search giant to ensure patents critical to the telecom industry would be licensed at fair prices.

The White House on Monday proposed big budget boosts for U.S. financial market regulators, which are months behind in finalizing Dodd-Frank reforms and are under pressure to more vigorously police markets in the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iran for the bombing and attempted bombing of Israeli envoys in India and Georgia. What will Israel's next step be?

The Dallas-based company will now charge $36 to upgrade a phone compared to $18 previously.

A group of environmental and progressive organizations aim to send half a million messages to the U.S. Senate in protest of a Keystone XL mandate Republicans plan to attach to an upcoming transportation bill.

U.S. stocks bounced back Monday from Friday's biggest loss of the year as Greece's parliament passed the deeply unpopular austerity bill to secure international rescue funds. The strict financial reform includes a 22 percent cut to minimum wage and 150,000 public-sector job cuts. Rioters protesting the measures set fire to buildings in downtown Athens.