ELECTIONS

The former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, on Friday demanded new elections and vowed mass street protests if the new government did not relent, raising the prospect of a protracted crisis on the Indian Ocean islands famed as a beach paradise.

It is a one-to-one match between Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Ron Paul in Maine. The state, which is holding a more-than-a-day caucusing, has 24 delegates to offer. Romney, who had won the state in 2008 Republican primaries, is hoping to repeat the same in 2012. While Texas Congressman Paul, is looking for his first victory.

President Barack Obama, in an abrupt policy shift aimed at quelling an election-year firestorm, announced on Friday that religious employers would not be required to offer free birth control to workers and that the onus would instead be put on insurers.

Egypt's embattled military rulers faced pressure on all sides Thursday, with the newly empowered Muslim Brotherhood demanding the regime cede power as an intensifying standoff over American nonprofit employees imperiled U.S-Egyptian relations.

Samuel Aranda took top honors in the 2012 World Press Photo contest with a photo of a veiled woman holding her wounded relative during the 2011 protests in Yemen.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has tossed out an appeal by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani designed to avoid appearing before the court in connection with an ongoing contempt case.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is up for re-election this year. He faces stiff competition from both the Socialist Party and the extreme right National Front. With France's economy in shambles, Sarkozy's re-election prospects look slimmer every day.

Greek political leaders said they had clinched a deal on economic reforms and spending cuts needed to secure a second bailout, but eurozone finance ministers demanded more measures and a parliamentary seal of approval. Finance ministers of the 17-nation eurozone meeting in Brussels warned there would be no immediate approval for the rescue package.

Washington, DC -- Ron Paul typically generates one of the largest followings at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), but the Republican presidential candidate decided to eschew the event in favor of campaigning in Maine.

Calpers, the largest U.S. pension fund, is seeking support for a longstanding proposal to get Apple Inc to require a majority vote before electing unopposed candidates to the company's board.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi mocked Stephen Colbert's Super PAC in a web ad pushing the Disclose Act, legislation introduced to combat the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

Russia faced a barrage of condemnations after it joined China over the weekend in vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step aside, but Russia has stood resolutely behind its decision. Why?

Though sex scandals involving celebrities and sages are not new in India, yet the latest scandal involving three ministers watching porn in the legislative assembly comes as a stark revelation of the double standards of the politicians in the country.

Singapore enjoys close relations with both the U.S. and China.

Greek leaders clinched a long-stalled deal on reforms and austerity measures needed to secure a bailout and avoid a messy default, government sources said, hours before the country's financial backers were to meet in Brussels on Thursday. The euro and European stocks strengthened on news of the breakthrough.

On Thursday, a court in the Maldives issued an arrest warrant for Mohamed Nasheed, the man who was president of the country just two days prior.

What did actually go wrong with Romney? How did he lose the aura of inevitability that surrounded him? Despite having the money and a strong organization, why are his acceptability and ratings heading south?

Ousted democrat Mohamed Nasheed forced out of office by rebel police.

Greek political leaders failed early on Thursday to sign off on a tough reform and austerity program, the price of a new international bailout for the nation, but Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said they would try to strike a deal within hours.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi announced Wednesday that he may pardon journalists, politicians, and dissidents detained under an 2009 anti-terrorism law, while refuting claims that the arrests were politically motivated.

Greek parties will try on Wednesday to agree to a reform deal in return for a new EU/IMF rescue to avoid a chaotic default, after repeated delays which have prompted warnings that the euro can live without Athens.