Attacks in Syria's Homs resume after Russian peace foray (Reuters)
Reuters - Armored forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad killed at least 47 civilians as they thrust into Homs on Wednesday, firing rockets and mortar rounds to subdue opposition districts, activists said, a day after Russia said Assad wants peace.

Maldives installs new president amid coup allegations (Reuters)
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.

NATO, Afghan and Pakistan officials to hold border talks (Reuters)
Reuters - NATO, Afghan and Pakistani military officials will hold talks on improving border security and coordination on Wednesday, in a possible sign that tension is easing following a cross-border NATO air attack in November that infuriated Pakistan.

U.S. to move Marines to Guam despite Futenma delay (Reuters)
Reuters - Japan and the United States said on Wednesday they have started talks to transfer U.S. Marines to Guam from the southern Japan island of Okinawa despite little progress being made on the planned relocation of a U.S. airbase on Okinawa, a step forward in an issue that has long been an irritant in bilateral ties.

Exclusive: Malaysian exporters halt palm oil supply to Iran (Reuters)
Reuters - Malaysian palm oil exporters have stopped supplying Iran with most of the 30,000 tonnes of the food staple the Middle Eastern country buys each month, or about half its demand, as Western financial curbs on Tehran stymie payments, two trading sources said.

Rio's Olympic Preview: Erupting Manhole Covers (Time.com)
Time.com - Will the Brazilian megacity's crumbling infrastructure spoil the World Cup and the Olympics?

RBS chief says bonus controversy harmed bank (AP)
AP - The chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland said Wednesday that the controversy which led to his decision to refuse a big bonus was damaging for the part-nationalized bank as it tries to hire the right people to restore its fortunes.

Russia: Assad wants his VP to speak to opposition (AP)
AP - Russia's foreign minister says that Syrian President Bashar Assad wants his vice president to hold talks with the opposition forces.

Disgruntled police in Brazil threatening Carnival (AP)

AP - Disgruntled police across Brazil are taking aim at the country's iconic Carnival celebration, raising threats to the annual street parties that draw hordes of foreigners as a way to press their demands for pay raises.

Exclusive: Trafigura deals in disputed Sudanese oil (Reuters)
Reuters - Swiss-based commodities trader Trafigura has bought oil which the South Sudanese government claims was seized by Sudan, its northern neighbor and former civil war foe, industry sources told Reuters, and is now in a legal dispute over ownership.

Pakistan holds border talks after deadly US attack (AP)

AP - The Pakistani army was meeting with NATO and Afghan forces on Wednesday in an effort to improve coordination along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a sign of thawing relations after American airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year.

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

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

The Merkel-Sarkozy 'odd couple' becomes a campaign duo (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - A German chancellor stumping for a standing French president is not something the French have seen before.

Obama Seeks to Cool War Fever While Keeping Up Pressure on Iran (Time.com)
Time.com - Nobody likely envies the challenge President Barack Obama faces getting his "messaging" right on Iran

Tour de France champ Alberto Contador vows to challenge doping verdict (+video) (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador signaled today his intention to appeal the doping conviction handed down yesterday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after a grueling 18-month legal battle.