The Dow is still in record territory in early trading this morning. The surge comes on the heels of strong jobs data from the Labor Department, which show applications for unemployment benefits have fallen to a five-year low.

Germany's Circus Roncalli responds when the leader of the German opposition calls the frontrunners in the Italian election "clowns."

From China's new housing tax to the sequester here in the U.S., global markets have a lot of news to digest this morning.

Italians get close to electing a comedian to run their country.

Poll results in Italy show power is split between a number of parties, including one led by former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

The European debt crisis has calmed down a lot in the past few months, but elections in Italy have ended in deadlock and uncertainty is back.

Global stock markets are falling this morning after preliminary election results in Italy indicate no political party won a clear majority in parliament.

Italian media magnate and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is seeking re-election at the polls this weekend. But will the country take him back or stick with their austerity agenda?

Today, the European Commission said the euro zone will shrink another 0.3 percent in 2013, which is deeper and longer lasting than originally expected.

After a week of near-record highs, Wall Street appears worried again — one of the culprits may be new concerns about the European debt crisis.