The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Michael Liedtke / AP Technology Writer San Francisco—Technology’s big-spending trio of Google, Facebook, and Amazon.com appear to be tightening their belts—at least a notch—in a concession to cost-conscious investors and a strong dollar that’s taking a big bite out of their revenue.

Tokyo—College-educated and gainfully employed 36-year-old Eriko Sekiguchi should be a sought after friend or date, planning nights on the town and faraway resort vacations. But she works in Japan, a nation where workaholic habits die hard.

Athens—The pressure on Greece’s new government to reach a deal with bailout creditors had ratcheted up as Standard & Poor’s cut its credit rating on Greece further into junk status and warned of the country›s possible exit from the 19-nation eurozone.

Washington—Sen. John McCain, who seems to revel in the occasional lonely crusade, is now taking on America’s maritime industry and the longstanding law barring foreign-built ships from transporting goods within the United States.

Washington—The job market remains a frustrating place for America’s 9 million unemployed—perhaps more so as hiring has accelerated along with job postings.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—Saudi Arabia’s new monarch isn’t wasting time. Since assuming the throne Jan. 23, King Salman has elevated some of his closest relatives and sidelined previous power-brokers, tightened decision-making and promised lavish payouts designed to win early goodwill.

PUEBLO, Colorado—The United States is about to begin destroying its largest remaining stockpile of chemical-laden artillery shells, marking a milestone in the global campaign to eradicate a debilitating weapon that still creeps into modern wars.

Award-winning poet Carlomar Arcangel Daoana launched on February 2 his latest book of poems, Loose Tongue, Poems: 2001-2013 (University of Santo Tomas [UST] Publishing House), at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall of De La Salle University (DLSU) in Malate, Manila. As part of the book launch, which was organized by the DLSU Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center and the …

By Leanne Italie / The Associated Press New York—Mark Miller has survived 19 years of online dating since his 1995 divorce, yet he still has a smile on his face.

Connie Cass and Emily Swanson / The Associated Press Washington, D.C.—Guys, if you want to get the girl, try bringing flowers—to her mother. With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s something to think about: Winning over the mom may sound old-fashioned, but it’s still a smart strategy in today’s fast-changing, app-tapping, hookup-happy world of dating.