Top headlines:
Rochester teen charged with 4 killings: A 17-year-old high school dropout shot, bludgeoned or stabbed to death four people over the Christmas holidays, three of them in the home of a jewelry merchant, police said Thursday. ›17:53
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. ›16:49
Private funeral set for Jett Travolta in Florida: John Travolta and his family were expected to host a private memorial service Thursday for their son, 16-year-old Jett Travolta, at their home in a central Florida gated community. ›19:35
Watch out, Vegas! New York hears wedding bells: With a gleaming marriage bureau makeover, New York City aims to become the new No. 1 place to tie the knot. ›00:56
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. ›16:08
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. ›20:39
Even guys cuddle their sweethearts' clothing: As many as three-quarters of women and two-thirds of men say they snuggle with shirts and other clothing worn by someone dear, but not near, researchers reported. ›13:04 7 Jan, Wed
Lead for car batteries poisonstown: The dirtin this town on the fringes of Dakar, Senegal's capital, is laced with lead left over from years of extracting it from old car batteries. And it is poisoning children. ›08:47 4 Jan, Sun
Cosmic Log: Wind turbine whips up UFO buzz: Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Take one wrecked wind turbine, add several eyewitness reports about lights in the sky, and you have a rip-roaring UFO sensation in Britain. ›19:23
Mummy may be 4,300-year-old queen: Egyptian archaeologists have found the remains of a mummy thought to be that of Queen Seshestet, the mother of a pharaoh who ruled Egypt in the 24th century B.C. ›16:54
City of sin calls with a 3-night getaway: If you need a quick getaway at a great price, check out this 3-night deal to Sin City, starting at just $169. ›16:54
Red Cross: Israel troops ignored Gaza wounded: The international Red Cross accused Israeli forces Thursday of failing to assist wounded Palestinians. ›19:44
Great Barrier Reef's coral growth is slowing: The growth of coral in the Great Barrier Reef has slowed to the most sluggish rate in at least 400 years and signs point to manmade greenhouse gas emissions as the culprit, according to a new study. ›19:00 1 Jan, Thu
Microsoft's Ballmer: Windows 7 is nearly final: Microsoft Corp.'s next version of the Windows operating system is almost ready for prime time. ›04:22
Onboard innovators: In pursuit of pain-free flying: While most of us tend to sigh and suffer our frustrating flying moments silently, a few intrepid travelers have managed to turn those moments into marketable products. ›16:29 6 Jan, Tue
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. ›17:27
Mugabe opponents: We confessed after torture: Opposition members accused of being involved in a bomb plot in Zimbabwe told a court Thursday that they were tortured into making false confessions. ›16:53
Despite Games, fewer people visited China in 08: The number of travelers to China dropped by 2 million in 2008 in what was supposed to be a banner year for tourism but became one dampened by Olympics-related security measures and the global economic crunch. ›14:26
New therapy helps boy with rare disease: A drug used to suppress the immune system in cancer and rheumatoid arthritis has helped extend the life of a Minnesota boy struggling with a rare and deadly form of the genetic disorder Pompe disease. ›16:56
Mosquitoes' buzz is music to their ears: Duets: When Lionel Richie and Diana Ross sing "Endless Love," it's heartwarming. When the first birds of spring chirp together, it's charming. When male and female mosquitoes harmonize, it's, well, annoying. ›20:30
Feds: Wayward dolphins in rivers are dying: More than two-thirds of the 16 bottlenose dolphins inhabiting New Jersey rivers since summer have died or disappeared, federal officials say. ›23:30 7 Jan, Wed
Pitt insists he was faithful to Aniston: In a story posted on W magazines Web site, Brad Pitt defends Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie and says his relationship with Jolie didnt begin until after he and Aniston split. ›20:58 7 Jan, Wed
Failed love museum offers balm for heartbreak: From an empty ring box to sexy lingerie and a pair of fur-lined handcuffs, an exhibition of the relics of failed love has come to Asia, hoping to bring solace to the heartbroken. ›21:24 7 Jan, Wed
Airlines fly into new year with wave of fare sales: A wave of fare sales has spread across the airline industry in the early days of the new year as the weak economy continues to put pressure on carriers to fill seats even after they drastically reduced capacity and some expressed willingness to cut more. ›23:31 6 Jan, Tue
