Italy parties seek way out of election stalemate

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's stunned political parties looked for a way forward on Tuesday after an election that gave none of them a parliamentary majority, posing the threat of prolonged instability and European financial crisis. The results, notably by the dramatic surge of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo, left the center-left bloc with a majority in the lower...

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S&P 500 falls more than 1 percent

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 declined more than 1 percent on Monday on fears that a divided parliament in Italy would get in the way of the country's reforms and hamper the euro zone's stability. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 100.22 points, or 0.72 percent, at 13,900.35. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 14.69 points, or 0.97 percent,...

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Indiana stays No. 1 in AP Top 25, Gonzaga No. 2

Indiana is No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25 for the fourth straight week, while Gonzaga moved to No. 2 for the first time in school history.The Bulldogs were third last week, matching their previous best ranking."The polls mean a lot more this time of year than they do in November, December, even January," coach Mark Few said. "All of us are being judged on the true body of work. It's definitely...

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Iran plans own response to 'Argo'

(File photo) Argo tells the story of a rescue of U.S. diplomats from revolutionary Iran.STORY HIGHLIGHTSBen Affleck's "Argo" tells the story of a dramatic rescue of U.S. diplomats from revolutionary IranIranian state media criticize the movie as "replete with historical inaccuracies and distortions"Iran's Art Bureau says it will fund its own film about the handing over of 20 U.S. hostages(CNN) --...

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Woman freed after conviction in son's death tossed

Nicole Harris, who has been locked up since the 2005 death of her son, walked out of an Illinois prison today after an appeals...

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Italy election forecasts point to political gridlock

ROME (Reuters) - A huge protest vote by Italians enraged by economic hardship and political corruption pushed the country towards deadlock after an election on Monday, with voting projections showing no coalition strong enough to form a government. With more than two thirds of the vote counted, the projections suggested the center left could have a slim lead in the race for the lower...

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Investors face another Washington deadline

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors face another Washington-imposed deadline on government spending cuts next week, but it's not generating the same level of fear as two months ago when the "fiscal cliff" loomed large. Investors in sectors most likely to be affected by the cuts, like defense, seem untroubled that the budget talks could send stocks tumbling. Talks on the U.S. budget...

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Early wreck in Daytona 500 takes out favorites

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — With one massive wreck, the favorite was gone from the Daytona 500. So was the sentimental favorite.An early crash in the Daytona 500 on Sunday knocked out several top contenders, including 2007 race winner Kevin Harvick and three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, shaking up NASCAR's opener.Winner of two races at Speedweeks, Harvick was sent to the garage.So was Stewart....

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Frenzied campaigning in race to replace Jackson Jr.

The complexities of a special primary contest to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. in Congress gave way the final weekend before the...

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Gloomy Italians vote in election crucial for euro zone

ROME (Reuters) - Italy voted on Sunday in one of the most unpredictable elections in years, with many voters expressing rage against a discredited elite and doubt that a government will emerge strong enough to combat a severe economic crisis. "I am pessimistic. Nothing will change," said Luciana Li Mandri, 37, as she cast a ballot in the Sicilian capital Palermo on the first of two days...

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