WORLD

The Republican frontrunner in the run up to the U.S. Presidential elections, Newt Gingrich, had to face considerable criticism from his rivals, in the final GOP debate of the year and before the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3. Gingrich, throughout the debate, fought back allegations levied against him and compared himself to former Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

The killing of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi may have been a war crime, according to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

Hunger and homelessness are on the rise according to a report released on Thursday by the United States Conference of Mayors.

U.S. lawmakers Thursday night reached a tentative deal to fund an array of government agencies through Sept. 30 and avert shutting down many of Washington's operations starting this weekend.

Congress Thursday approved a defense bill requiring the military to handle suspected foreign militants allied with al-Qaida, sending it to President Barack Obama for his expected signature.

Japan has signaled plans to strengthen disclosure rules on mergers and acquisitions after a $1.7 billion accounting fraud at Olympus Corp, one of the nation's worst corporate scandals, which involved a series of shady deals.

Front-runner Newt Gingrich came under sharp attack from rival Republican presidential candidates Thursday night at the last debate before Iowa launches the 2012 election season.

Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder Thursday expressing concern that a nationwide settlement regarding major banks' foreclosure practices should not grant immunity in future investigations into their conduct leading up to the mortgage crisis.

Norex Petroleum is suing Russian oligarchs and New York residents Leonard Blavatnik and Victor Vekselberg for orchestrating the theft of its oil field in Siberia.

This lack of action by central banks has clearly contributed to the pervasive negative mood felt by most investors.

Buoyed by renewed pledges of customer support, TransCanada Corp said on Thursday it not only wants to proceed with its stalled Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline but to undertake a $600 million expansion and extension.

"We believe the district court committed legal error by announcing a new and unprecedented standard" for approving settlements, Robert Khuzami, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division, said in a statement Thursday.

The Iraq War's end was celebrated at Baghdad International Airport with a few thousand troops on hand for a symbolic ceremony in which the flag of U.S. Forces-Iraq was officially retired, or cased, according to Army tradition. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and several other military leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey and Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, made remarks.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois has staged a comeback and is now tied in public support with the federalist party that has the most Quebec seats in the House of Commons, a Harris-Decima poll released on Thursday shows.

Penthouse Magazine named Jenna Rose its 2012 Pet of the Year. She is featured on the January cover and in a nude pictorial in the magazine that goes on sale Thursday. The release of the Penthouse Magazine follows a week of buzz surrounding Playboy Magazine's January/February issue, which features Lindsay Lohan on its cover and in a nude pictorial.

Staying in Syria would tacitly suggest that Hamas supports Assad, who has already become the loneliest and most isolated leader in the Middle East.

Confined to a wheelchair and ailing from heart problems, Boere was transported by ambulance from a German nursing home in Aachen to a prison hospital.

Civic Associations such as Don Capalbi's Queensborough Hill civic play a vital role in New York City life, creating a forum for citizens to air grievances and meet their elected representatives, and connecting the gentry to its government.

Though he continues to lag in national polls, Rick Perry is launching a massive comeback effort in Iowa, which will hold the nation's first caucuses on Jan. 3. Here is an overview of his positions.

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau found about 146 million Americans are either low-income or living in poverty.

Italian financial institutions have already released about 600 million euros ($782 million) of Libyan assets.

Is the Iran drone real and what does is say about the relationship between the United States and Iran.

After nearly nine years in Iraq, the war has formally drawn to a close as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared an end to its mission in a ceremony in Baghdad on Thursday.

U.S. overspending on the military has diverted resources from civilian / social investments, including public goods, weakening the U.S. economy, and, by extension weakening the nation. If it doesn’t substantially cut defense spending, the U.S.’s empire will likely share the fate of two other empires that overspent on the military -- the British Empire and the Soviet Union.

South African scientists have discovered a new breed of cockroaches that hop through the air. Unlike other roaches that scuttle from place to place, these so-called leaproaches jump much like grasshoppers.

McCain himself seemed pleased with Putin’s tirade.

European shares rose on Thursday, recovering around half of the previous session's sharp falls after a Spanish bond auction met good demand and U.S. jobless claims and manufacturing data showed signs of economic improvement in the U.S.

Thousands of office workers are gearing up for a major strike if a new contract deal is not met. On Wednesday, they marched through Midtown Manhattan demanding a better deal.

Facebook Timeline was released Thursday for users around the world. If you have not already activated your Facebook Timeline account, we give you three easy steps to make the switch.