Myanmar sends comedian, monk to prison
Courts in military-ruled Myanmar on Friday handed long prison sentences to a prominent monk and a popular comedian active in the country's pro-democracy movement.

Madonna, Ritchie granted divorce

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie ended nearly eight years of marriage in just a few minutes on Friday when a British court granted them a preliminary divorce decree.

Bank of New York Mellon to ax 1,800 jobs
The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. said Thursday it will cut its worldwide work force by 4 percent, or about 1,800 jobs, blaming the weak global economy.

Bush to promote action plan to deal with crisis

Struggling to get ahead of a global financial crisis, the president hopes to win more converts at a summit in Peru for a plan aimed at showing governments have the will and means to halt the turmoil.

Leftist Sandinistas win Nicaragua vote

Nicaragua's ruling Sandinista party won the large majority of municipal races, including the capital Managua, in local elections that have sparked violent clashes and allegations of fraud.

Report predicts U.S. decline, Russia rise

Global warming could be a boon to Russia while the U.S. could further decline in importance during the next two decades, says a U.S. intelligence report with predictions for the world in 2025.

Phone workers peek at Obama's cell records
Verizon employees snuck a peek at President-elect Barack Obama's old cell phone records and will be reprimanded accordingly, the company said late Thursday.

Military sets date for first execution since 1961
A former Army cook convicted of multiple rapes and murders is set to die next month in what would be the U.S. military's first execution in nearly 50 years.

Shipper: Militaries must confront pirates
The world's militaries must work together to battle pirates off the Somali coast or ships will have to be diverted, one of the world's largest oil tanker companies said Friday.