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.

U.K. slashes interest rates to historic low
The Bank of England cut official interest rates by a half a percentage point to 1.5 percent on Thursday, the lowest level in its 315-year history.

Ballmer: Windows 7 is nearly final

Microsoft Corp.'s next version of the Windows operating system is almost ready for prime time.

Obama: Pass stimulus or recession lasts 'years'

President-elect Barack Obama was set to warn that the nation's recession could "linger for years" unless Congress acts to pump unprecedented sums from Washington into the U.S. economy.

U.N. halts Gaza aid deliveries, blames Israel

The United Nations halted all aid deliveries to the besieged Gaza Strip Thursday, citing a series of Israeli attacks on U.N. staff and installations.

Scoop: Stars will shine at 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.

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.

Thousands told to flee Wash. floods

Rain and high winds lashed Washington state, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.

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.