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.

Attack on U.S. patrol in Afghanistan kills 5
A suicide bomber struck U.S. troops patrolling on foot in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing at least two soldiers and three civilians.

Palm announces 'Pre' smartphone

Palm Thursday unveiled the "Pre" smartphone, more similar to an iPhone than a Treo in looks, and a new operating system called Palm WebOS, with hopes that both will keep the venerable but struggling company in the smartphone race.

'One Laptop Per Child' program cuts staff
In another sign of the growing financial strain on nonprofit groups, the One Laptop Per Child program is paring its staff in half.

Small retailers struggle in tough season

Like a lot of small retailers, Henry Burton depends heavily on the holiday season to ring up sales, and, like a lot of retailers, this past holiday season proved especially challenging.

How many meerkats? London Zoo critter count

The annual count is a legal requirement for all British zoos, and it's also a useful tool for monitoring animal conservation efforts. Zookeepers say it makes sense to have a census.

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.

Walters: Oklahoma can silence Big 12 critics with win

Walters: Oklahoma has an opportunity to validate every verbal bouquet tossed the Big 12's direction this season. The Sooners, losers themselves of four consecutive BCS bowls and no strangers to the "Over-rated!" chant, take on a Florida squad that is as fast and deep as anyone in the nation. And that might as well be playing a home game.