Bikers strap on fruit to dodge helmet law
Police in Nigeria have arrested scores of motorcycle taxi riders with dried fruit shells, pots or pieces of rubber tire tied to their heads with string to avoid a new law requiring them to wear helmets.

Scoop: Spears' tour gets off to shaky start

According to Us Weekly, Britney Spears just doesn't have the work ethic she used to and it's affecting her upcoming tour.

Cubans pin hopes on Obama

In central Havana, many people hope that President-elect Barack Obama will do something — almost anything — to help end the official hostilities between Cuba and the U.S.

Analysis: Obama's challenges in Mideast

One of President-elect Barack Obama's biggest challenges in Middle East policymaking will be to craft diplomatic solutions that do not have unintended consequences.

Satyam scandal could be 'India's Enron'

The head of Indian outsourcing firm Satyam Computer Services resigned on Wednesday, disclosing that profits had been falsely inflated for years.

Al-Qaida No. 2 blames Obama for Gaza

Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader lashed out at President-elect Barack Obama in a new message, accusing him of not doing anything to stop Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, according to a monitoring center.

Reid: Burris may ultimately get Senate seat

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Roland Burris will not likely take Barack Obama's Senate seat until a court in Illinois rules on a dispute surrounding his appointment.

Obama pledges to tackle government spending

President-elect Obama says he'll have to juggle the competing interests of economic stimulus and deficit control, but that restoring general business health must come first.

Gaza Palestinians: ‘Everywhere is dangerous'

Msnbc.com's Kari Huus on Wednesday interviewed two young Palestinians in Gaza by phone to hear their accounts of life in the battle zone.