Madoff dealings tarnish a private Swiss bank
L'Affaire Madoff, as it has become known, has raised questions why Union Bancaire Privée did not look more closely at its returns.
- Financier is found dead in a Madoff aftermath
- In Madoff scandal, Jews feel an acute betrayal

Russia's liberal opposition loses its voice
Tired of being vilified in the state-controlled news media, of being hounded by the state security forces, of being arrested at demonstrations, one opposition leader took a Kremlin job.

Gaza strikes escalate against Israel
The Israeli security cabinet met and weighed a response to the attacks by Palestinian militants, including broader military action or efforts for a renewed truce.

Obama report outlines talks on Senate seat
An Obama confidante's contact with a labor union official could be of interest to prosecutors, but a report found that no Obama aides talked about a quid pro quo.

Tumbling gas prices offer relief for consumers
Tumbling gasoline prices gave consumers more purchasing power and led to a rise in real consumer spending last month, the government reported.
- Oil expected to remain below $60 a barrel in 2009

Voting ends in Indian Kashmir amid heavy security
Hundreds of protesters chanting pro-independence slogans clashed with soldiers in the main city of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday, the last day of voting in state elections.

Further confusion in Guinea after coup attempt
The officers who claimed they had seized power said they might not return to their barracks for two years.

Afghans and U.S. plan to recruit local militias
American commanders and Afghan leaders hope to imitate Iraq's experiment, but there are fears it will push the country into a deeper bloodletting.

Company at core of China's milk scandal is declared bankrupt
A Chinese court has declared bankrupt Sanlu Group, one of many Chinese dairies found to have sold products containing an industrial chemical that killed six children and sickened thousands.

Ukraine faces gas cutoff over debt owed to Russia
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev sternly urged Ukraine on Wednesday to fully pay its $2.1 billion debt for Russian natural gas supplies or face sanctions.
- Medvedev hopes for better ties with US under Obama

It's the end of the line for SUV plants in the United States
Even a U.S. government bailout could not save three of the last remaining plants in the United States still making sport utility vehicles.

Young Jordanians rebel, embracing conservative Islam
Across the Middle East, young people, angry, alienated and deprived of opportunity, have accepted Islam as a way to defy the status quo and challenge governments seen as corrupt.

Sport meets survival: An Iditarod without dogs
Unlike the famous annual sled-dog mush in Alaska, the qualifiers in the Iditarod Trail Invitational navigate a similar trail on their own power: no dogs or motors allowed.

Where a Yule log is so much more than Christmas cake
In Paris, the cake known as the Bûche de Noël is an opportunity for creativity, commerce, competition and consumption.