ELECTIONS

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted of sodomy charges on Monday.

European stocks were essentially flat on Monday at mid-day in choppy trade, bouncing from last week's sharp pull-back, with gains in defensives limited by a drop in banking shares led by Unicredit following its rights issue.

Anwar Ibrahim, the Leader of the Opposition in the Malaysian government has won a crucial courtroom battle. He has been acquitted of sodomy charges leveled against him by his former political aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

South African President Jacob Zuma led a purification ceremony at the site in Bloemfontein where the African National Congress was born 100 years ago. Many say the party needs cleansing itself.

Most of the Republican presidential candidates laid out their credentials as social conservatives in a debate on Saturday as the 2012 campaign prepares to move from New Hampshire to South Carolina. With another debate to be hosted by NBC's Meet the Press, they can do it all over again on Sunday.

One winner in 2012's political races already has been decided: local television stations.

Amid growing discontent from the public against Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church has urged the Kremlin to enact reforms and policy changes.

The Asian political canvas looks challenging in 2012, with government changes in key countries likely to surprise investors and businesses. The highlights are a once-in-a-decade leadership change in China, chances of an early general election in India, worsening uncertainty in Pakistani politics and general elections in South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Group says that it will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take its challenge to Montana's century-old ban on corporate political spending.

The husband of jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko won political asylum in the Czech Republic Friday, as he and Tymoshenko's party said the government launched a criminal investigation against him, the Associated Press reported.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Burma this week to show that the UK and other world powers were serious about the country's slow move toward democracy.

As the Iranian rial hits all-time lows against the United States dollar in the wake of imposed international sanctions, Iranians seek safer havens in more global currencies like gold, according to a leading economist at the National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia.

Hundreds of thousands of Burmese Ronhingya are currently living in neighboring Bangladesh, where they are unwanted refugees

Though, Apple's legal team is working hard to stop the sale of the action figure, the dolls are still up for sale on different online shopping Web sites.

President Barack Obama appointed three people to the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday to keep the agency operable in 2012.

Prior to Sein’s ascension, Burma was ruled by brutal military dictatorships for more than fifty years.

Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh will not be traveling to the United States for medical treatment. The embattled leader will stay at home to help with the transition of power following his departure for office.

Portia Simpson Miller, 66, will take the Oath of Office as Jamaica's prime minister on Thursday, in a ceremony at King's House. She led the People's National Party to victory in December's general elections, capturing 42 of 63 seats.

The New Hampshire Republican Primary of 2012's date is set at January 10. For a comprehensive list of dates (on issues like corrections and absentee ballots) of the event, click here.

Gatewood Galbraith, a former five-time candidate for Kentucky governor, died on Tuesday evening at the age of 64.

Youssou N'Dour is running for president of Senegal. The singer will try to capture the youth vote in an effort to upset the 85-year-old incumbent Abdoulaye Wade.