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National governments

Patrick Fitzgerald takes on Socrates at mock trial
Patrick Fitzgerald has prosecuted mobsters, terrorists, a White House aide and two Illinois governors. On Thursday, the former top prosecutor got a ...
Japan industrial production up 2.5 percent in Dec.
Japan's industrial production picked up pace in December from the month before, in a sign the world's third-largest economy may be stabilizing thanks ...
Ark. Senate passes measure to ban most abortions
The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit most abortions if a heartbeat is detected, ignoring warnings from opponents that banning the procedure ...
Arizona lawmakers struggle to stay on priorities
One Republican proposal would ban state enforcement of federal gun laws. Another would require that hospitals check the citizenship of anyone treated ...
Stalingrad gets name back on days marking battle
The southern Russian city where the Red Army decisively turned back Nazi forces in a key World War II battle will once again be known as Stalingrad, ...
Economic jitters compete with Obama agenda
Just as President Barack Obama is pushing new initiatives on gun control and immigration, the gloomy old problem of a sluggish economy is elbowing its ...
Pakistan court summons anti-corruption boss
Pakistan's top court on Thursday summoned the government's anti-corruption chief over a letter he wrote criticizing the tribunal's judges, the latest ...
GOP lawmakers see automatic cuts as leverage
There's a growing sense of resignation that the country's political leaders will be unable or unwilling to find a way around looming automatic ...
US economy shifted into reverse in late 2012
The U.S. economy shrank unexpectedly late last year, a reminder of the biggest threat it faces in 2013: sharp government spending cuts and prolonged ...
Russia scraps anti-crime deal with the US
Russia pulled out of an anti-crime accord with the United States on Wednesday in a move the U.S. called "self-defeating," the latest sign of rising ...
Greece eyes accounts of suspected tax evaders
The Greek government wants to give tax authorities the power to empty the bank accounts of accused tax evaders, even if they have not been convicted.
THE RESET: Familiar faces on Obama's 2nd-term team
President Barack Obama is much of the way through completing his second-term Cabinet and top White House staff. For many of those chosen so far, it's ...
Slow US economic growth in Q4 may hide strength
Most economists agree that Wednesday's snapshot of U.S. economic growth is going to look dismal. The consensus forecast from Factset is economic ...
Israel to transfer tax funds to Palestinians
Israel says it is transferring tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority that were frozen last year. A government statement on Wednesday says it is ...
Next in BP spill saga: civil trial worth billions
Now that a $4 billion plea deal has resolved BP's criminal liability for the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill nearly three years ago, the company will ...
Judge rejects Apple's patent award demands
A federal judge late Tuesday rejected Apple Inc.'s demand to increase the $1.05 billion in damages a jury ordered Samsung Electronics Inc. to pay its ...
Sandra Day O'Connor steps carefully in NY gun case
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor warned Tuesday against a rush to judgment in a New York gun ownership dispute, citing the recent ...
Peace envoy says Syria is 'being destroyed'
The international envoy to Syria told the Security Council on Tuesday that "Syria is being destroyed bit by bit" and his mediation effort cannot go ...
San Francisco nudity ban upheld in federal court
A federal judge cleared the way Tuesday for the city of San Francisco to ban most displays of public nudity, ruling that an ordinance set to take ...
Judge OKs $4B BP oil spill criminal settlement
BP PLC closed the book on the Justice Department's criminal probe of its role in the Deepwater Horizon disaster and Gulf oil spill Tuesday, when a ...
US consumers less optimistic after tax increase
An increase in Social Security taxes is leaving Americans with less take-home pay — and a more negative outlook for the U.S. economy. The Conference ...
Ex-Michigan justice pleads guilty to bank fraud
A former Michigan Supreme Court justice pleaded guilty to bank fraud Tuesday for concealing assets, including a Florida home she and her husband ...
Lombardy stars as kingmaker in national elections
One region looms large over Italy's upcoming election: Lombardy. The nation's industrial powerhouse and home to its financial capital, Milan, the ...
Authorities: NY judge opens door to Swiss records
A federal judge on Monday authorized the Internal Revenue Service to require UBS AG to produce records about U.S. taxpayers who may hold bank accounts ...
US economy gets lift from housing, other tailwinds
The U.S. economy is a study in contrasts. The housing, banking and auto industries are surging back to health and that has helped push the stock ...