Global markets extend rout

European and Asian stock markets tumbled Thursday after recession fears sent Wall Street plunging the day before.

Obama pledged change, picks insiders

President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.

Scoop: Jennifer Aniston gets a kick out of ‘Friends'

The "Marley & Me" star tells New York Times magazine, "This is horrible to say, but there are times when I laugh my rear end off."

Massive search for S. Pacific fishermen
The New Zealand air force searched for 29 fishermen Thursday after the charred remains of their boat was found abandoned near the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati.

U.S. shifts its approach in Iraq

With violence down sharply this year, the U.S. military is broadening its efforts to reconcile Sunnis and Shiites.

U.S. jobless claims jump to 16-year high
New claims for unemployment benefits jumped last week to a 16-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday, providing more evidence of a rapidly weakening job market.

Governors pledge fight on global warming

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his counterparts in 12 states and regional leaders from four other countries signed a declaration Wednesday pledging to work together to combat global warming.

NYT: Daschle poses conflict-of-interest test

The choice of Tom Daschle for secretary of health and human services poses questions about how broadly Barack Obama will apply campaign promises to limit conflicts of interest among appointees.

Oil dives below $50 to near a two-year low

Oil prices fell below $50 to near a two-year low Thursday as investors worried about plummeting stock markets and the global economy.

New BlackBerry is good iPhone challenger

Review: BlackBerry fans can rejoice: the Storm, Research In Motion's first all-touchscreen Blackberry will make even iPhone users salivate just a little bit over some of the features of this very slick and sophisticated smartphone.