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A woman as Mexico's president?

On Sunday, the ruling party nominated Josefina Vazquez Mota to be the first woman candidate for president from a major Mexican party. Would she instill rule of law and sustain the fight against drug cartels?

Now Romania: Another European government falls amidst eurocrisis

Romania's government collapsed today – the latest European government to give way amid popular resentment toward austerity measures.

Super Bowl ad for 'The Lorax' features Danny DeVito and Ed Helms

Super Bowl commercial for 'The Lorax' has the eye-popping visuals of previous Seuss movies and a few jokes for the grown-ups.

Russian team drills into 14-million-year-old Antarctic lake

The lake is the object of a years-long project to study its waters, which may house life forms new to science.

Hamas and Fatah overcome key roadblock to reconciliation

Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshal agreed in Qatar today that Mr. Abbas would lead an interim powersharing government.

China's short term environmental future is bright

Changing internal factors are giving rise to new green incentives in China.

Democracy in sub-Saharan Africa: once rising, now stumbles

Democratic setbacks in sub-Saharan Africa have outpaced once promising gains, says guest blogger Vukasin Petrovic from Freedom House.

US colonel: Don't believe US statements on progress in Afghanistan

Lt. Col. Daniel Davis just finished a year in Afghanistan and says don't believe claims of progress.

Super Bowl ads: Top 6 best animal commercials (+video)

Super Bowl ads reflect a broader truism in advertising: A cute animal is a better pitchman than a human 9 times in 10 (Peyton Manning aside). Over the years, some of the most successful Super Bowl ads of all time have featured a wide array of animals, from mighty Clydesdales to lowly mosquitoes. Here is our countdown of six of the best ever fuzzy (and not so fuzzy) Super Bowl commercials, including a winner from Super Bowl XLVI. Did your all-time favorite take the top spot?

Woman to head major party ticket in Mexico

Josefina Vazquez Mota was selected as Mexico's ruling National Action Party (PAN) candidate for the upcoming presidential election. She is Mexico's first female presidential candidate from a major political party.

Will Ron Paul be last rival standing to Mitt Romney?

If you sort through the Nevada caucus results, look at this week’s GOP events, and add in a few financial disclosure forms, you can produce a scenario where Ron Paul outlasts others.

Charles Dickens: 10 favorite quotes on his 200th birthday

Feb. 7, 2012, marks the bicentenary of the birth of great English author Charles Dickens. Nicknamed “The Inimitable,” Dickens fused artistry with humanity to create a body of work as entertaining as it is edifying. In his novels and other writings, Dickens deftly skewered the venality of the rich, depicted with great pathos the wretched lives of the poor, and canvassed such diverse themes as the need for educational reform, the triumph of love over ego, the destructive capacity of guilt, and the value of communal ties. No handful of quotes can entirely encapsulate the genius of Dickens, but below are a few that we feel do a fair job of showcasing the novelist’s unmatched wisdom and powers of expression.

Russia: Why the fury over UN veto on Syria?

Responding to global criticism of Russia's UN veto, Russia's foreign minister said the vote was 'hasty.' He will travel to Damascus Tuesday to meet President Assad.

Electric cars: 'Plug-ins' look for spark in 2012

Automakers in 2012 will launch 13 plug-in vehicles, running on electricity alone all or most of the time. This is the year that will tell whether the electric car market has a roaring liftoff or a slow-rolling start, analysts say.

Verizon, Redbox team up to take on Netflix

Verizon and Red Box will soon roll out a streaming video service, which will compete with Netflix.

China: One fire may be out, but tensions over rural land rights are still smoldering

The same tinderbox that allowed the Chinese village of Wukan to erupt (the confiscation of farmer’s land without fair compensation) is present in thousands of villages across China. The scale of the problem is a matter of both domestic and global concern.

The great wait of China: How long until freedom?

How long can China's communist regime hold in thrall people who have prospered in an economic system that has many of the hallmarks of free enterprise? Despite attempts to censor the Internet, China's huge, new urban population is aware of the outside world and changes in it.

As tensions over wealth gap rise, the rich are giving more

The top 50 charitable donors gave more in 2011: Are the super rich feeling the sting of public opinion?

As snow falls in Britain, Heathrow upholds reputation as travelers' 'black hole' (+video)

London's Heathrow airport is once again the target of criticism after a preemptive shutdown hours before a light snowfall in the United Kingdom.

How super PACs are changing the GOP presidential race

The $41 million that 'super PACs' have spent so far leaves 2008 in the dust and is changing campaign dynamics. Notable effects: many more negative ads and an ability to keep faltering campaigns alive.

Facebook, already rich off online ads, gears up for mobile adverts

More than half of Facebook users access the social network through a mobile device. And now Facebook could be close to rolling out a mobile advertising initiative.

Norwegian terror suspect Breivik tells court today he deserves a medal

In his court appearance today, Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik pleaded not guilty, saying the July 2011 bomb blast and shooting spree were 'self defense' of his culture.

Alberto Contador stripped of Tour de France title amid doping scandal (+video)

Alberto Contador of Spain, a three-time Tour de France champion, was stripped of his 2010 title by the Court of Arbitration for Sport because of a failed drug test.

Former White House intern claims to have had an affair with JFK in a new book

Former White House intern Mimi Alford claims in 'Once Upon A Secret' that she had an affair with the former president when she was 19.

Obama would win against GOP candidates: Poll

A Washington Post-ABC News survey of 1,000 adults found that, for the first time, Obama's prospects have brightened against his potential rivals as his overall job approval numbers climbed on his handling of the slowly recovering economy.

Meatless Monday: How to make spaetzle

Spaetzle is a traditional German dumpling or noodle boiled in water or broth then pan fried in butter.

Europe's weather brings continent to a halt

The frigid temperatures and snowfall that began in Eastern Europe last week have reached Western Europe, snarling airport traffic in Britain and turning Rome white.

Austerity is working

It's finally starting to look like a real recovery for the U.S. economy. One aspect that makes the upswing look sounder is that it has happened while government spending has declined.

With oil pipeline attack, Niger Delta rebels announce return

After a year long truce, Niger Delta rebel group MEND launched an attack on an oil pipeline. MEND's attacks come as Nigeria's military is struggling with the Islamist Boko Haram movement in the north.

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years on throne (+video)

Queen Elizabeth II: Dressed in a Tiffany-blue hat and colorful overcoat against the winter cold, she was greeted by well-wishers in the snow-covered town of King's Lynn at an event planned to mark Accession Day, the anniversary of the day she became queen in 1952.

Rescuers dig to reach dozens after Philippines quake

At least 13 people were killed and 40 are believed missing, most of them along the shore near the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude quake that struck in a narrow strait just off Negros Island.

Deng Fei goes beyond journalism to right wrongs in China

Once a top investigative reporter in China, Deng Fei now writes a popular microblog that moves readers to action.

Despite $1.5 billion in US aid, Egypt threatens prosecution of Americans

Egypt said yesterday it will prosecute a large number of people, including 19 Americans, involved in democracy promotion in the country, putting the country's US aid in extreme jeopardy.

Oil prices will rise as supplies tighten? Hardly.

Oil prices, which fell below $97 a barrel on Monday, are not poised to surge in the long run because long-term production is declining. Better technology and, if needed, higher oil prices mean the long predicted peak in oil production is a long way off.

Syria assault on Homs escalates. Does Assad think he has carte blanche now?

Residents of Homs say Syrian forces have stepped up their assault after Russia and China blocked UN Security Council action against the Assad regime this weekend.

Clint Eastwood in Top 6 Super Bowl 2012 car commercials (+video)

Sure, the New York Giants won the 2012 Super Bowl. But who won the battle of the Super Bowl car commercials? NBC says advertisers paid an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot in this year's Super Bowl. Last year, Volkswagon was the biggest crowd pleaser with their Darth Vader "The Force" ad which got millions of views online before it debuted on TV. This year, the early favorite was Ferris Bueller (aka Matthew Broderick) hawking a Honda. But Chrysler's Halftime in America ad, starring Clint Eastwood, is what everyone is talking about now. Here's one viewer's take on the Top 6 Super Bowl car commercials for 2012. Which is your favorite?

El Salvador gets 'tough' amid worsening crime

President Mauricio Funes has appointed career military personnel to head the police and national security. Many fear a return to failed policies of the past, writes guest blogger Hanna Stone.

Stock market: Futures slide on Greek indecision

Stock market looks to open lower as emergency talks fail to produce Greek rescue package. A disorderly Greek default could send shock waves through the stock market.

Super Bowl ads battle for top spot

Super Bowl ads ranged from overweight dogs to naked M&Ms. In the end, the game between the Patriots and Giants outshone the Super Bowl ads.

The Last Holiday: A Memoir

Music legend Gil Scott-Heron's poignant memoir.