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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — With less than three weeks until Iowa's leadoff caucuses, leading Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are ratcheting up the rhetoric. But the intensifying give and take is leaving little space for any of the other candidates to make an impression. Trump and Cruz lead most preference polls which suggest the overall shape of the 2016 contest may be solidifying. Just one debate remains before the caucuses.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A source says a moratorium on new coal leases of federal land is coming today. The Obama administration wants the pause while it completes a comprehensive review of whether the fees charged to mining companies provide a fair return to American taxpayers and reflect coal's impact on the environment. Reserves under current leases can still be mined. There is declining domestic demand for coal.
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese companies continue to be on a buying spree abroad. The latest is Haier Group, the world's biggest home appliance maker, which buying General Electric Co.'s appliance business for $5.4 billion to expand its U.S. and global presence and build itself into a premium brand. GE has been a prominent presence in appliances for a century, but is shifting to higher technology.
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian authorities are getting ready for the anniversary of the uprising which led to the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak by rounding up activists. Egypt has launched an extensive crackdown on Islamists and secular activists alike since the 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The anniversary of the Mubarak uprising is Jan. 25.
MILAN (AP) — Volkswagen, mired in an emission cheating scandal, was left behind as the European carmakers' association reported a 9 percent bump in vehicle sales last year. The association says the region registered 13.7 million car sales in 2015. Volkswagen severely lagged the trend, with the group's market share eroding to 22.5 percent from 25 percent last year.
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