Freedom

NEW YORK - Mitt Romneywon the Republican nomination for president chiefly by being a steady hand, the tortoise amid so many hares. Others could bolt ahead and inevitably stumble; Romney plowed forward, relentlessly. He is still fairly unflappable, and nobody could ever call him flighty. But as the general election nears, his campaign has seemed to be searching for its footing, venturing into territory in recent days that is far afield from the economic issues that, by virtually every account, will decide the election.

TORONTO -- When you make your directorial debut at the age of 75, as Dustin Hoffman has done with the upcoming "Quartet," the first question people naturally ask is: What took you so long? But in fact, Hoffman began one of his favorite movies, the 1978 character study of a career criminal, "Straight Time," behind the camera as well as in front of it. However, since video assist playback had not yet become a prevalent filmmaking tool, Hoffman ultimately hired another director, Ulu Grosbard, because he couldn't watch his takes after shooting them.

CAIRO - Adorned with delicate makeup, an anchorwoman wearing a head scarf appeared Sunday on Egypt's state television for the first time in its five-decade history. Wearing a cream-colored scarf, Fatma Nabil appeared poised as she read the latest updates on the drafting of Egypt's post-revolution Constitution on the noon news program, followed by a male anchor. Salah Abdel Maksoud, the country's new information minister and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced Saturday that a largely unspoken ban on female news presenters wearing traditional Islamic head scarves was being lifted and that more covered female anchors would follow Nabil on state-owned networks.

PSERIMOS, Greece - "Our boats are for people who don't like crowds," Muhammet Okumus, our captain, tells me. "Even though there can be six or so gulets in a bay in summer, the places we go never see cruise ships. " He's right. It's easy to be basking in the solitary glory of an Aegean inlet and suddenly feel territorial when another gulet with all of eight passengers pulls into your bay. Okumus pulls out a map and asks me, "Where do you want to go next?" I cannot remember ever being asked that on a cruise.

The Daily Caller, a right-of-center news outlet, offered this scoop Friday: The proposed Republican Party platform includes a call for "Internet freedom. " That may seem like endorsing motherhood and apple pie, but the meaning is much more elusive. That's because the definition of "Internet freedom" depends on whose freedom you're trying to preserve. The provision in the proposed Republican platform suggests the main threats to freedom come from government regulators and outdated rules that stop innovative telecommunications companies from rolling out new services and extending broadband to more parts of the country.

RANGELEY, Maine - The man who may tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate next year was being introduced to the runner-up champion moose caller. This being Maine, the two had met before. Angus King has off-the-charts name recognition in the state, largely positive, from two terms as governor to which he was elected during the economically robust 1990s. Now, in the race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, that familiarity has made him the front-runner.

The members of incarcerated Russian punk band Pussy Riot have gained a powerful new ally in their battle with Russian authorities over freedom of speech: Paul McCartney. The former Beatle has come out in support of the female trio, whose members have been in jail for five months since mounting a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main cathedral. They are facing possible seven-year prison terms. PHOTOS: Russian punk rockers on trial McCartney, who performed in Red Square in 2003 in front of a massive audience that included Putin, has posted a letter of support on his web site for the three musicians stating: “Dear Nadya, Katya and Masha, “I'm writing to show my support for you at this difficult time.

Roseanne is zeroing in on a milestone: her 60th birthday. But if you think that the force of nature who reached powerhouse status while striking fear in the hearts of network and studio honchos, critics and a few ex-husbands has mellowed, think again. There's a new method to her madness: If you can't beat 'em, run for president of the United States. Stretching her battlefield from the TV landscape to the political arena, the former self-declared "domestic goddess" earlier this year tossed her hat into the race for the White House and last week was selected as the presidential candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party.

CHEONAN, South Korea - Kim Sung-eun let out a sigh as he checked email from a North Korean defector in China. The teenager had been sending the pastor emails for months, begging for help in escaping China. "I live in despair every day. I need to get out of here, pastor. Please save me," the email read. Agonized, Kim started to write a reply, his hand resting on his mouth as he selected words to comfort the teen. Such urgent emails and calls are common for Kim, who has been helping North Koreans find freedom from their repressive Communist nation for more than a decade.

BEIRUT - Syria's prime minister reportedly defected Monday, a stunning blow to a government already reeling from severe security breaches, a war-ravaged economy, international isolation and pitched battles throughout much of the country. Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab was in Jordan with his family, according to media reports. "I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime, and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution," Hijab said in a statement read by his spokesman, Muhammed el-Etri, according to Al Jazeera, the pan-Arab satellite network.