Eric Linton

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.

Rick Santorum has surged into a virtual tie in opinion polls with Mitt Romney, setting up a tough fight in the party's primary in Michigan on Feb 28.

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.

Greek political leaders say the nation must accept yet more punishing austerity or face a social explosion, but after a night of violence and destruction in Athens, some people fear this explosion may already be about to begin.

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.

Gold strengthened Monday in line with gains in shares and the euro after Greece's parliament finally approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill to secure a second bailout from the European Union and the IMF to avoid bankruptcy.

Venezuela's opposition coalition confirmed on Sunday that Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles had won a primary before the South American nation's presidential election.

Syrian forces resumed their bombardment of the city of Homs Monday after Arab countries called for U.N. peacekeepers and pledged their firm support for the opposition battling President Bashar al-Assad.

Just after midnight Monday, the Greek parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.

The Arab League threw its support Sunday firmly behind the opposition mounting an uprising against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and called for the U.N. Security Council to send peacekeepers to halt bloodshed.

Historic cinemas, cafes, shops and banks were set ablaze in central Athens Sunday as black-masked protesters fought Greek police outside parliament, while inside lawmakers looked set to defy the rage by endorsing a new EU/IMF austerity deal.

Iran has built up its naval forces in the Gulf and prepared boats that could be used in suicide attacks, but the U.S. Navy can prevent it from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the region said Sunday.

An Egyptian parliamentary inquiry into the deaths of 74 people in a soccer stadium disaster has found both fans and lax security to blame for the worst incident of its kind in the country's history, the legislator leading it said on Sunday.

Bahraini riot police engaged in pitched battles with petrol-bomb throwing youths on Sunday as violence escalated ahead of Tuesday's anniversary of the uprising last year, while King Hamad mocked the opposition for its bad manners.

Historic cinemas, cafes and shops went up in flames in central Athens Sunday as black-masked protesters fought Greek police outside parliament, while inside lawmakers looked set to defy the public rage by endorsing a new EU/IMF austerity deal.

The most important leader of Peru's leftist Shining Path insurgency was seriously wounded and captured by security forces after being shot in a remote jungle rife with drug trafficking, President Ollanta Humala said on Sunday.

President Barack Obama will make no further changes to the rule requiring health insurance plans to provide women with coverage for contraception, although U.S. Catholic bishops still object, his chief of staff said Sunday.

The Arab League threw its support Sunday firmly behind the opposition mounting an uprising against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and called for the U.N. Security Council to send peacekeepers to halt bloodshed.

Black-masked protesters throwing petrol bombs created a wall of fire Sunday outside Greece's parliament as lawmakers inside looked set defy public rage by endorsing a new austerity deal to secure an EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy.

The most important leader of Peru's leftist Shining Path insurgency has been found dead by security forces after being shot in a remote jungle rife with drug trafficking, President Ollanta Humala said on Sunday in his first major victory against what remains of the rebel group.

The euro and Asian shares pulled back Friday as investors remained concerned about prospects of restructuring Greece's debt and global lenders demanded more steps even after it struck a long-awaited deal on fiscal reforms.

Tanks amassed outside opposition neighborhoods in Homs Friday as Alawite-led forces bombarded the Syrian city for the fifth day and residents expected a major push to subdue the center of revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule

The House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly passed new curbs on insider trading by lawmakers and other government officials despite complaints from Democrats and some Republicans that key anti-corruption provisions were dropped.

Republicans expressed frustration Thursday at the slow pace of negotiations over extending a tax break for workers that expires at the end of the month, accusing President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats of blocking agreement.

Professional networking service LinkedIn posted fourth-quarter revenue that beat estimates thanks to strong product and subscription growth

Asian shares and the euro struggled Thursday, as sentiment grew cautious after Greek political leaders failed to conclude a deal for a bailout package crucial to avoiding a messy debt default.

Armoured reinforcements poured into Homs as President Bashar al-Assad's forces bombarded the rebellious Syrian city for a fourth day, opposition sources said Thursday, worsening the dire humanitarian situation and prompting a new diplomatic push from Turkey.

Diamond Foods Inc removed top management after a probe by its audit committee found that the company improperly accounted for payments to walnut growers, sending its shares down 40 percent in after-hours trading.