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Verizon Denies Bid with AT&T to Buy out Vodafone

U.S. operator Verizon has denied speculation it was preparing a joint bid with AT&T to buy out British mobile phone giant Vodafone and divide up its assets between them.

"As Verizon has said many times, it would be a willing purchaser of the 45 percent stake that Vodafone holds in Verizon Wireless. It does not, however, currently have any intention to merge with or make an offer for Vodafone, whether alone or in conjunction with others," Verizon said in a statement Tuesday.

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Eurozone Unemployment Hits Record 12% in February

Eurozone unemployment ran at a record 12 percent in February, with more than 19 million people on the dole as the debt crisis continued to sap the economy, official data showed Tuesday.

The Eurostat data agency said unemployment in the 17-nation eurozone at 12 percent was unchanged from January when the figure was initially given as 11.9 percent.

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Cyprus Finance Minister Resigns

Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris resigned on Tuesday, saying one of the reasons was that he had been chairman of Laiki Bank, whose failure was a major contributor to the island's near financial meltdown.

His resignation was accepted by President Nicos Anastasiades, presidential spokesman Christos Stylianides said.

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IMF Says Size of Egypt Loan Still under Discussion

The International Monetary Fund could change the size of a $4.8 billion financing program for Egypt, its Middle East director said on Tuesday ahead of fresh talks in Cairo on the package in the coming days.

"The size may vary. It's a question of needs and what's required," Masood Ahmed told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of regional finance ministers in Dubai.

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Spanish Unemployment Edged Down in March

Spanish government figures show that the number of people registered as unemployed edged down by a little under 5,000 in March, the first reduction for the month in five years.

The Labor Ministry said Tuesday that the decline showed the government's policies are working. The scale of the task remains huge though as the number registered as unemployed stands at 5.04 million.

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Greek Banks Get More Time to Recapitalize

Greece's central bank governor says the country's four largest lenders will be given until the end of May to complete a major recapitalization program.

Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos told state-run NET television late Monday that the banks — National, Eurobank, Alpha, and Piraeus — would be given an extension of up to a month for the program backed by bailout funds.

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Australia Keeps Rates on Hold at 3.0%

Australia's central bank kept interest rates on hold at 3.0 percent Tuesday, saying global downside risks appeared to have eased but domestic pressures were lingering.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said there were a "number of indications that the substantial easing of monetary policy during late 2011 and 2012 is having an expansionary effect" but more time was needed.

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Bank of Japan Chief Vows 'Bold' Monetary Easing

The Bank of Japan's new chief said Tuesday policymakers would live up to market expectations for "bold" monetary easing, ahead of his first policy meeting since taking up the post last month.

The two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, comes as BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has repeatedly talked up his plans to stoke the economy and reverse years of deflation that has crimped private spending and corporate investment.

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Price of Cooking Gas Soars in Egypt

Cash-strapped Egypt on Monday hiked the price of subsidized cooking gas by 60 percent, triggering market chaos, officials and media reported, ahead of a visit by the IMF for talks on a $4.8-billion loan.

Ahram Online quoted an official from the domestic trade and supply ministry as saying the price of subsidized standard gas cylinders had been set at eight dollars ($1.15), from five pounds ($0.73) previously.

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U.S. Seeks Public Comment on Proposed EU Trade Deal

The United States put its proposed trade partnership with the European Union to the public Monday, marking another step toward creating the world's largest free-trade area.

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said it was seeking public comments on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, including regarding U.S. interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating positions.

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