Mike Lapointe

Ottawa - First there was the nearly $600 million in misspent funds for phantom gas plants in Ontario. Then the second-most important person in federal politics steps down for his role in the biggest spending scandal since sponsorship.

Ottawa - University of Ottawa medical school students protested outside Parliament Hill Monday afternoon in response to a letter from Conservative MP Kelly Block regarding spending cuts to refugee health care coverage.

Orlando - Mark Schmidter wanted to be involved in the political process, but wasn’t satisfied with traditional forms of civic participation. So he turned his attention to the courts. For his troubles, the 64-year-old Schmidter received a 151 day prison sentence.

On Sunday, French President Nicholas Sarkozy announced that he would raise consumer taxes. The announcement came as France prepares for a presidential election in April.

Tampa - Within a matter of 72 hours, South Carolina had – and promptly lost – a golden opportunity to be a Republican king-maker. The stage was set for the unofficial coronation of Mitt Romney as the presidential candidate for the GOP. But it was not to be.

Columbia - Republican candidate Newt Gingrich scored a decisive victory in the South Carolina Presidential primary last night. The Republican race for presidential nominee is now wide open as a clear front-runner has yet to emerge heading into the Florida contest.

Charleston - Newt Gingrich was heckled during his opening remarks at a South Carolina campaign event last night when a protester loudly demanded that the candidate release his ethics report.

Cairo - The Muslim Brotherhood claims their party has received nearly forty percent of the vote in Egypt’s first governmental elections since former president Hosni Mubarak was driven from office in August.

European politicians - from Nicholas Sarkozy to Angela Merkel - are correct in saying that this is Europe’s darkest hour since World War II. What has emerged from decades of negotiations between European leaders is now under threat.

Moscow - Russians took to the streets on Monday and Tuesday to protest unfair parliamentary elections held last week. Thousands of people attended rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg in defiance of the government and in support of opposition parties.

Athens - Greek trade unions have gone on strike for the first time since European technocrat Lucas Papademos became the country’s leader last month. They are protesting fresh austerity measures needed to save Greece from economic collapse.

Washington - United States President Barack Obama met with European leaders yesterday to pledge American support in fixing the Eurozone crisis and to urge a speedy resolution to Europe’s debt woes.

New York - A federal judge rejected a $285 million dollar settlement between Citigroup and the Securites and Exchange Commission Monday after determining that the American financial watchdog had to prove – rather than just claim - the bank committed fraud.

The long-awaited showdown between police and 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters has indeed been ugly at points, but continues to proceed in a relatively civil manner. Many now question whether the movement can survive following widespread eviction notices.

Washington - Members of the Congressional ‘supercommittee’ met this morning in an attempt to reach a last-minute deal on cuts to the United States budget. It's looking increasingly unlikely they will come to an agreement in time to meet the Wednesday deadline.

Washington - Jim Hoffa was elected to his fourth term as General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters earlier today.

Kirkuk - Officials and residents in Kirkuk, a nothern city in Iraq, are concerned about the eruption of ethnic hostilities after American troops withdraw from the country at the end of the year.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney shifted his attention to President Barack Obama earlier this week, criticizing the President for calling Americans "lazy."

According to a recent poll, Texas congressman Ron Paul has emerged as a front-runner in the Republican nomination process.

Toronto - Occupy Toronto activists had already marched toward city hall to protest their impending eviction when they received another notice – this time from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice – that said they didn’t have to leave just yet.