Republican Presidential Contenders Strategize for Super Tuesday
A fight is brewing in the U.S. South between Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, while Mitt Romney's priority is winning Arizona and Michigan. Those are the presidential campaign strategies becoming clear as fundraising efforts and spending plans shine a light on how the GOP race is likely to play out between now and March 6.
Greek Conservative Leader Demands Party Back Bailout
Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras said on Saturday that all his New Democracy party's lawmakers must vote for a European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout law or face being dropped as parliamentary candidates. This is obviously an issue of party discipline, he said.
Libya Wants Niger to Extradite Moammar Gadhafi's Son Saadi
Libya urged Niger on Saturday to extradite Moammar Gadhafi's son Saadi, saying his call for Libyans to prepare for a coming uprising threatened bilateral ties. In response, Niger pledged to tighten house surveillance of Saadi, but reiterated he could not be handed over to a state where he could face execution.
Police Arrest Five at The Sun Newspaper Unit of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Police on Saturday arrested five people at The Sun newspaper, its parent News Corp. said, as part of an investigation into illegal news gathering that forced the closure of another of the firm's British tabloids.
Syria's Forces Again Shell Homs; Saudis Push for U.N. Resolution
Syrian forces unleashed new tank and rocket bombardments on opposition neighborhoods in Homs on Saturday while diplomats sought United Nations backing for an Arab plan to end 11 months of bloodshed in the Middle Eastern country.
Wall Street Week Ahead: Weak Earnings Reports May Not Tame Strong Market Bulls
Despite a mediocre earnings season and signs of an overbought market, Wall Street bulls are likely to remain in control next week. There are a number of catalysts that have helped the market this year, including a slew of improved economic data and the Federal Reserve's vow to keep interest rates low.
Jeremy Lin Outduels Kobe Bryant, Leads New York Knicks to Another Win
Linsanity reigned at Madison Square Garden for another night on Friday as blossoming point guard Jeremy Lin outdueled Kobe Bryant to lead the New York Knicks to a fourth consecutive win with a 92-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Greece Warns Bailout Rebels of 'an Unknown, Dangerous Path'
The Greek government told rebellious lawmakers on Saturday to back a deeply unpopular European Union/International Monetary Fund rescue package in parliament or send the nation down an unknown, dangerous path to default and international economic isolation.
Iran to Soon Announce 'Major' Progress in Its Nuclear Program: State TV
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday the Islamic Republic would soon announce very important achievements in the nuclear field, state TV reported. He was speaking on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Maine Caucuses Appear to be Two-Man Race Between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul
Maine's Republican presidential caucuses look like a two-man race between Mitt Romney, the party's current front-runner, and Ron Paul in a small-state contest that has taken on new importance for Romney after his losses in three states last Tuesday.
China's Xi Jinping to Get Near-Summit Treatment on U.S. Visit
From the power centers of Washington to a soybean farm in Iowa to sunny Southern California, China's president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, will sample diverse slices of America during a major visit from Monday to Friday next week.
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Being Investigated: Source
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the colorful and controversial representative of the city after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is under investigation by federal authorities, a source with direct knowledge of the probe said on Friday.
Boko Haram Islamist Insurgency Beginning to Take Toll on Nigeria's Economy
An increasingly violent insurgency by Islamist sect Boko Haram in Nigeria's economically stagnant north has begun pressuring the country's finances by forcing extra spending on security. It could be costing as much as 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
President Obama to Pitch Cutting Top Corporate Tax Rate of 35%
U.S. President Barack Obama will call for cutting the top 35 percent corporate tax rate as early as this month, according to two sources close to the administration. The president is likely to propose a rate closer to an average of those seen in peer nations, the sources said.
Defiant Newt Gingrich Vows to Stay in Republican Race
A defiant Newt Gingrich vowed to continue in the 2012 Republican presidential race and predicted that he could pull even with Mitt Romney in the delegate count within two months: I am a candidate for president of the United States. I will be a candidate for president of the United States.
Slowing Growth Weighs on M&A Values in Middle East: Report
Mergers and acquisitions in the Middle East and North Africa rose slightly in 2011, but the combined value of deals fell by more than one-quarter as slower economic growth weighed on prices, Ernst & Young said on Sunday. Deal values fell to $31.7 billion last year compared with $44.1 billion a year earlier.
Iran Will Attack Any Country Used to Strike Its Soil: Military
Iran will attack any country whose territory is used by so-called enemies of the Islamic state to launch a military strike against its soil, the deputy head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards told the semiofficial Fars news agency on Sunday.
Curtis Martin Scores Big as One of Six Players Going into Hall of Fame
Curtis Martin, who ranks fourth on the National Football League's all-time rushing list, was one of six players elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday. Martin starred for both the New England Patriots and the New York Jets, longtime rivals in the American Football Conference East division.
Cancer Survivors in the NFL's Super Bowl Win it All This Year
There can only be one winner in the NFL's Super Bowl, but for two opposing players in this Sunday's game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, success in a much bigger battle with much higher stakes has already been achieved: victory over cancer.
Blast Hits Natural-Gas Pipeline Between Egypt and Israel
An explosion hit a natural-gas pipeline running from Egypt to Israel on Sunday, witnesses and state television reported. Also supplying gas to Jordan, the pipeline has come under attack at least 12 times since Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year.
Political Pressure Mounts for Early Presidential Vote in Egypt
An Egyptian government building was set on fire on Sunday as protests disrupted the heart of Cairo for a fourth day and public figures demanded a faster transition to civilian rule. It was unclear who was behind the attack, with the state news agency blaming unknown arsonists.
Venezuela's Opposition Angered as Hugo Chavez Celebrates Coup
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mounted a lavish celebration on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the failed coup that helped launch his political career, as opposition leaders slammed the event as a blemish on the country's democracy.
GOP's Mitt Romney Has Momentum in Wake of Nevada Caucuses
Republican front-runner Mitt Romney cruised to an easy victory in Nevada on Saturday, taking firm command of the party's volatile presidential nominating race. He captured 44 percent of the vote with about 43 percent of precincts counted, taking about a 20-point lead over his closest rivals.
Arctic Express in Europe Moves West, Claiming 122 Lives in Ukraine
Bitterly cold weather that has claimed hundreds of lives in eastern Europe swept westward over the continent on Saturday, as Russian natural-gas exporter Gazprom acknowledged it had been unable to meet increased demand as it battles its own deep freeze and had thus cut its supply for a few days.
Allen Stanford Had Secret Swiss Account for Bribe Payments, Yacht Costs: Witness
Texas financier Allen Stanford drew on a secret Swiss bank account to pay bribes and for personal expenses such as yacht maintenance, the government's top witness said at Stanford's fraud trial on Friday.
Ban on Crude-Oil Sales Will Not Stall Nuclear Program: Iran
Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would not retreat from its nuclear program even if its crude-oil exports grind to a halt, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. But Rostam Qasemi also called on the European Union to review its recent decision to ban Iranian oil imports as of July 1.
Gold Dips 1% on U.S. Jobs Data, Posts Small Weekly Drop
Gold fell 1 percent on Friday, its biggest one-day loss in over a month, after encouraging U.S. payrolls data smashed hopes of extra stimulus from the Federal Reserve, which had been priced into bullion's recent rally.
Boston, New York Mayors Aiming at Illegal Guns in Super Bowl Ad Spot
Among the slick, million-dollar ads airing during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in New York and Boston will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
President Barack Obama Presses Congress to OK Aid for Homeowners
U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday pressed lawmakers to pass his proposal to provide as much as $10 billion in aid to struggling homeowners, saying a failure to address the housing crisis would put the rest of the economy at risk.
Russia Warns of 'Scandal' in Vote at U.N. on Syria
Russia sought to delay a U.N. Security Council vote on a resolution aimed at ending the bloodshed in Syria, warning on Saturday of a so-called scandal should the current draft be put to council members, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.
