Romanian PM announces gov't resignation (AP)

AP - The Romanian prime minister on Monday announced the immediate resignation of himself and his government, saying he wanted to protect the stability of the country.

Abbas to head new unity Palestinian government: senior official (Reuters)

Reuters - Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed at a meeting in Qatar on Monday to form a unified government for the West Bank and Gaza Strip headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinian official said.

China defends its veto of UN measure on Syria (AP)

AP - China said Monday it was forced to veto a United Nations vote on Syria because it was called before differences in the proposal were bridged, but denied playing spoiler and said it wants to see an end to violence there.

Romania PM Boc resigns after protests (Reuters)

Reuters - Romania's Prime Minister Emil Boc resigned on Monday after weeks of nationwide protests against austerity measures and before a parliamentary election due late this year.

Report: Iran navy rescues tanker from pirates (AP)

AP - Iran's state TV reports that the country's navy has opened fire on pirates to foil an attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden.

Report: Iran navy rescues tanker from pirates (AP)

AP - Iran's state TV reports that the country's navy has opened fire on pirates to foil an attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden.

Stock index futures signal lower Wall Street open (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock index futures pointed to a lower open for equities on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.2 to 0.5 percent.

Russia and China Challenge the West on Syria: What Implications for Iran? (Time.com)

Time.com - The breach among the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council in Saturday's vote on Syria's increasingly bloody power struggle could have profound implications for Syria's immediate future

In Syria, Hundreds Massacred While U.N. Resolution Stalls (Time.com)

Time.com - Friday night, Syrian security forces carried out what the opposition Syrian National Council called a "horrific massacre" targeting Homs in one of the worst violence in the 11-month uprising

GM aims for 10 percent profit margin over next few years: report (Reuters)

Reuters - General Motors aims to raise its profit margin to 10 percent over the next several years, up from the current margin of about 6 percent, Daniel Ammann, chief financial officer, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

Syrian assault on Homs kills 50: opposition (Reuters)

Reuters - Syrian forces bombarded Homs on Monday, killing 50 people in a sustained assault on several districts of the city which has become a centre of armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian National Council opposition group said.

Sudanese rebels say to release Chinese workers "soon" (Reuters)

Reuters - Sudanese rebels said on Monday they will release "soon" 29 Chinese workers held in the border state of South Kordofan where the army has been fighting insurgents for months.

Greek parties face EU bailout deadline (Reuters)

Reuters - Greece's coalition parties must tell the European Union on Monday whether they accept the painful terms of a new bailout deal to avoid a messy default that could threaten the country's future in the euro zone.

Police raids highlight Italy's fight against tax evasion (Reuters)

Reuters - The two-man workshop close to the Vatican had been busy when tax police raided it last week, seizing about a million religious articles and souvenirs ranging from rosaries to images of Pope John Paul II.

Greek crisis talks for debt deal pushed to Monday (AP)

AP - Crisis talks on a debt deal for Greece among the three leaders of parties supporting the coalition government were suspended and will continue Monday.

Chrysler's "Halftime" ad: a roadmap for America? (Reuters)

Reuters - Is what is good for Chrysler good for America?

Correction: Australia helicopter deaths story (AP)

AP - In a story Feb. 5 about the deaths of two filmmakers in an Australian helicopter crash, The Associated Press reported erroneously the location of the crash. Nowra is 97 miles (156 kilometers) south of Sydney, not north.

Mexico party picks woman as presidential candidate (AP)

AP - A major political party in Mexico has chosen a female presidential candidate for the first time, as the ruling party bet that a charismatic former congresswoman will help it erode the lead held by its powerful rival.

Pakistan factory collapses in gas blast, 3 dead, many trapped (Reuters)

Reuters - A three-story factory collapsed Monday in the Pakistani city of Lahore after a gas explosion, killing at least three people and trapping dozens, emergency officials said.

Insight: Two firms flourish in frenzied MF Global aftermath (Reuters)

Reuters - The mad rush to move client money out of MF Global Inc. after its collapse left two firms with the bulk of customer accounts, while other brokerages emerged with only minor gains from the chaos of carving up a multibillion-dollar business.

Glencore offers 8 percent premium to Xstrata to seal deal: FT (Reuters)

Reuters - Commodities trader Glencore International is set to offer a bigger-than-expected premium to seal its proposed $88 billion merger with global miner Xstrata Plc , the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Obama says risky to attack Iran, wants diplomatic fix (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Sunday there were important risks to consider before any military strike against Iran and made clear he does not want to see more conflict in the oil-producing Gulf region.

Canadian Muslims issue fatwa against "honor killing" (Reuters)

Reuters - A group of Canada's leading Muslim clerics has issued a fatwa against so-called "honor killings," just a week after three members of an Afghan Canadian family were convicted of a gruesome quadruple murder that triggered a national debate about cultural values.

IMF official in Romania rejects criticism (AP)

AP - The head of the IMF mission in Romania has criticized politicians and media for accusing him of misconduct for having attended a party held by government officials at a time of harsh austerity measures.

Americans face prosecution as Egypt ignores Clinton, Congress (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - Egypt is bringing criminal charges against at least 40 people, including some American citizens, over the foreign funding of nongovernmental organizations, sharply raising the stakes in a standoff with the US that has put $1.3 billion in US military aid to Egypt at risk.

Syria next steps: With diplomacy stalled, escalation expected (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria appear to have reached an impasse following the vetoing by Russia and China of a United Nations Security Council resolution.

Obama pushes for veterans jobs programs (AP)

AP - In an effort to cut the unemployment rate among veterans, President Barack Obama is calling for a new conservation program that would put veterans to work rebuilding trails, roads and levees on public lands.

Romney focuses on Obama, Gingrich on Romney in NV (AP)

AP - A confident Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to do enough to create jobs as he campaigned Friday ahead of GOP presidential caucuses this weekend in a state with sky-high unemployment and foreclosure rates. Newt Gingrich, who is fighting for a respectable showing here, rolled out a fresh line of criticism by comparing the former Massachusetts governor to Obama.

New York sues banks over electronic mortgage system (Reuters)

Reuters - New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Friday sued three major U.S. banks, accusing them of fraud for using an electronic mortgage database that resulted in deceptive and illegal practices.

Analysis: Stock-picking makes a comeback as macro tides fade (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock-picking once again matters on Wall Street.

Aon Q4 profit rises, but margin pressures persist (Reuters)

Reuters - Aon Corp posted a higher quarterly profit that narrowly beat market estimates, but the world's largest insurance broker continued to face margin pressures in its Aon Hewitt segment for the second-straight quarter.

Euro zone sales tumble at Christmas, no sign of growth (Reuters)

Reuters - Retail sales in the euro zone tumbled unexpectedly in December, the biggest drop in the Christmas period in three years, data showed on Friday, with rising joblessness and stubborn inflation undercut signs of a stabilization in Europe's economy.