Euro Watch: German Economy Shrank in Fourth Quarter

FRANKFURT — The economic stagnation in Europe has taken a significant toll on Germany, with government figures released Tuesday showing that the Continent’s flagship economy contracted in the fourth quarter of last year. Ina Fassbender/ReutersA ThyssenKrupp steel plant in Bruckhausen, Germany. Economists expect the German economy to resume growth quickly this year. ...

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Leon Panetta Says U.S. Has Pledged to Help France in Mali

LISBON — In a move that could draw the United States into another conflict in North Africa, the Obama administration has pledged to help the French in their fight against Islamist militants in Mali, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Monday. He said the assistance could include air and other logistical support. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated PressDefense Secretary Leon E. Panetta boards...

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Facebook shares rise in buildup to mystery event, earnings

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc’s stock opened on Monday above $ 32 for the first time since July as anticipation about upcoming products and financial results underscored Wall Street’s renewed confidence in the online social network.Facebook will on Tuesday host its first major press event at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, since its troubled initial public offering in May, triggering...

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AP source: Armstrong 'sorry' to Livestrong staff

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong apologized to the staff at his Livestrong cancer foundation before heading to an interview with Oprah Winfrey, a person with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussion was private.Stripped last year of his seven Tour de France titles because of doping charges, Armstrong addressed the...

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Well: That Loving Feeling Takes a Lot of Work

When people fall in love and decide to marry, the expectation is nearly always that love and marriage and the happiness they bring will last; as the vows say, till death do us part. Only the most cynical among us would think, walking down the aisle, that if things don’t work out, “We can always split.”But the divorce rate in the United States is exactly half the marriage rate, and that does not bode...

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Chrysler Pauses to Mark an Unlikely Comeback

Fabrizio Costantini for The New York TimesChrysler introduced a new Grand Cherokee in Detroit on Monday. DETROIT — While its hometown rivals struggle to regain momentum, Chrysler is accelerating its unlikely product revival. The smallest of the American automakers kicked off the annual Detroit auto show on Monday with new versions of two Jeep models, the Grand Cherokee and Compass, that have...

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India Ink: Woman Raped by Seven Men in Punjab, India, Police Say

NEW DELHI — Police said Sunday that a  29-year-old woman had been raped by a bus driver, a bus conductor and five other men in the north Indian state of Punjab, in an incident that recalls the recent attack in Delhi that has caused widespread outrage.The woman boarded a bus on Friday bound for Gurdaspur, to visit her in-laws, the police chief of Gurdaspur, Raj Jit Singh, said in a telephone interview....

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Ryan's 2 TDs give Falcons 20-0 lead over Seattle

ATLANTA (AP) — The Falcons' defense made a fourth-down stop to set up Matt Ryan's second touchdown pass and then delivered another stop as the first half ended to preserve a 20-0 lead over Seattle in Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game.Ryan threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 20-0.The Falcons' defense then stiffened after Russell Wilson moved...

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City Room: Cuomo Declares Public Health Emergency Over Flu Outbreak

With the nation in the grip of a severe influenza outbreak that has seen deaths reach epidemic levels, New York State declared a public health emergency on Saturday, making access to vaccines more easily available.There have been nearly 20,000 cases of flu reported across the state so far this season, officials said. Last season, 4,400 positive laboratory tests were reported.“We are experiencing...

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Treasury Will Not Mint $1 Trillion Coin to Raise Debt Ceiling

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department said Saturday that it will not mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin to head off an imminent battle with Congress over raising the government’s borrowing limit. “Neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve believes that the law can or should be used to facilitate the production of platinum coins for the purpose of avoiding an increase in...

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