U.S. admiral to head anti-pirate patrols

A U.S. Navy commander will lead a new international force to battle pirates off the coast of Somalia, officials said Thursday.

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.

Daschle confirmation hearing today

Showing the emphasis that some lawmakers are putting on health care issues this year, former Sen. Tom Daschle will be the first of President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet choices to undergo a hearing.

China jails democracy activist for 6 years
A 65-year-old democracy activist who tried to set up an opposition party in China has been sentenced to six years in jail, a human rights group said Thursday.

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.

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.

Prediction: Trendy sex not so hot in 2009

Every new year is a time for trend prediction and, in 2009, even sex isn't immune. So here's my 2009 prediction about trendy sex: It's over, writes Brian Alexander.

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.