Reuters - Armored forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad thrust deeper into the central city of Homs on Wednesday, firing rockets and mortar rounds to subdue opposition districts, activists said, a day after Russia said Assad wants peace.

Reuters - The Maldives, one of the world's most renowned tourist destinations, installed a new president after the man credited with bringing democracy to the Indian Ocean islands resigned, apparently under military pressure following a police mutiny.

Reuters - Iran castigated its U.S. adversary on Tuesday over new financial measures to disrupt Iranian commerce, and a default on payment for rice purchases highlighted the encroachment of sanctions on the staples of everyday life.

Reuters - The 50th anniversary of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba on Tuesday was met with little fanfare on the island, where Cubans said it was a failed policy that had succeeded only in making their lives more difficult.

Reuters - Egyptians must overcome economic and political differences to unite and put the country on the path to democracy and away from military rule, former presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei said Wednesday.

Time.com - Will the Brazilian megacity's crumbling infrastructure spoil the World Cup and the Olympics?

AP - Florence Green never saw the front line. Her war was spent serving food, not dodging bullets.

AP - Egypt's ruling generals are playing a risky game of brinksmanship by cracking down on American nonprofit groups that promote democracy, threatening a relationship with Washington that has brought the military billions of dollars in aid over the past three decades.

AP - Mexican teens can't solve long-multiplication problems. Education authorities don't know how many teachers work in Mexico. Teachers often miss class, and some who do show up have long conversations on their cellphones.

AP - The top opposition presidential candidate is accusing Sierra Leone's ruling party of provoking violence ahead of November polls.

AP - Residents in India's largest state began voting Wednesday in a monthlong local election with repercussions for the whole nation.

Reuters - Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were shot and wounded in the western province of Alberta, the national police force said on Tuesday.

AP - Australia's Qantas Airways says it has temporarily grounded one of its A380 superjumbos after discovering dozens of hairline cracks in its wings.