African men jailed for 8 years over gay sex
Nine men, including a prominent activist, have been convicted of homosexual acts and sentenced to eight years in prison, their lawyer and a gay rights group said Thursday.

Protests over Calif. train shooting turn violent

Protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by a transit police officer turned violent in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday night.

Obama assembles powerful West Wing

Barack Obama is assembling a new and influential cadre of counselors just steps from the Oval Office whose power to direct domestic policy will rival, if not exceed, the authority of his Cabinet.

NYT: Bush's homeland security setup faces ax

Barack Obama is reportedly preparing to scrap the way President Bush oversaw domestic security in the White House and name a former CIA official to coordinate counterterrorism.

Scoop: Stars saving red-carpet best for inaugural

Celebrities aren't very interested in what they will wear to upcoming awards shows — they're already looking ahead to the outfits they'll don for Barack Obama's inauguration.

Detroit's auto show likely to be a bit austere

With the industry in financial dire straits, much of the glitz and glamour at this year's Detroit auto show will be replaced by a new sense of austerity.

Red Cross: Israel troops ignored Gaza wounded

The international Red Cross accused Israeli forces Thursday of failing to assist wounded Palestinians.

Panda attacks zoo visitor for third time

For the third time,  Gu Gu the panda has attacked someone who climbed into its space, prompting officials at the Beijing Zoo to consider changes to keep visitors away from 240-pound animal.

Horrid holiday sales capped by dismal Dec.

Retailers are reporting dismal sales for December, confirming fears that the holiday season was the weakest in four decades.