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Recession risk eases as service sector grows

03 Feb 2012

LONDON - Britain's dominant services sector grew at the fastest pace in 10 months in January and firms became much more optimistic, a survey showed on Friday, crowning a raft of upbeat economic news this week that raised hopes Britain may avoid recession.

Energy secretary Huhne quits over criminal charges

03 Feb 2012

LONDON - Energy Secretary Chris Huhne resigned on Friday after learning he would face criminal charges for allegedly lying to police, a fall from grace that could tweak the dynamics of the coalition government and weaken its environmental agenda.

Bakries, Tan seek to oust Rothschild from Bumi board

03 Feb 2012

LONDON - Indonesia's politically connected Bakrie family and their shareholder partner in Bumi Plc are seeking to oust financier Nat Rothschild and other key directors from the board of the London-listed coal miner.

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U.S. jobless rate at 3-year low as payrolls surge

03 Feb 2012

WASHINGTON - The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama. | Video

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Street battle rages near Egypt's Interior Ministry

03 Feb 2012

CAIRO - Rock-throwing protesters fought riot police through clouds of tear gas near Egypt's Interior Ministry on a second day of clashes triggered by the deaths in Port Said of 74 people - the country's worst soccer disaster. | Video

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Greece struggles on reform, lenders eye rising bill

03 Feb 2012

ATHENS - Greece's government struggled on Friday to agree tough labour reforms that would appease both wary political leaders and irate lenders faced with a rising bill to save the country from bankruptcy.

Paul Smalera

Facebook.coop

If Mark Zuckerberg really wants to accomplish his social mission with Facebook, he should share the company’s ownership with the people who helped him create it. Facebook should be a user-owned, user-managed company, run for the benefit of users. The company should be a cooperative.  Commentary 

Edward Hadas

Glencore-Xstrata would be big, and perhaps better

There’s industrial logic to a Glencore-Xstrata tie-up: Glencore’s production assets would move Xstrata to mining’s top league; Xstrata’s would give Glencore’s trading arm an edge. But the cultural combination is risky. If Glencore didn’t already own 34 percent of Xstrata, a deal would be less likely.  Commentary 

Ian Campbell

Euro’s bounce can’t last

The euro has risen this year, contrary to market expectations. It’s been buoyed by vast extra ECB liquidity, some useful reforms, and the threat of more U.S. money printing. But Europe’s crisis is fundamentally unresolved and likely to drag the euro down.  Commentary 

Neil Unmack

Europe can’t force Greece into never-default land

Germany would like to prevent Greece from ever defaulting, by forcing it to dedicate its resources to service its debt first. This looks both legally unenforceable and politically untenable. The reality is that Greece will default if it wants to.  Commentary 

Ian Bremmer

The world's year of reckoning

If you believe in the values of Western democracy - equality, fairness, opportunity and freedom - that’s precisely why the West must rise to the occasion and press Arab Spring countries to fight for democratic institutions in their new national orders.  Commentary 

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