Views on Israel behind intelligence pick's withdrawal
Charles W. Freeman Jr., a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, withdrew his name from consideration for a top intelligence post after a campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists.

School killings shake Germany to the core
After a teenager shot and killed 15 people, Germany embarked on a new round of soul-searching Thursday as many asked whether true security would ever be possible in schools.

For Sweden, tiny Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are too big to fail
A deep sense of ownership of the Baltic success story is driving Sweden to spend ever-more money in the name of preventing a financial collapse.
- Swiss central bank takes drastic measures to fight deflation

Pakistan titans duel amid a crackdown
The ban on a national protest march and arrest of hundreds of political workers evoked the sweeping security restrictions of the former military dictator.

Madoff pleads guilty to vast fraud and is jailed
Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Thursday to all the charges against him and expressed remorse for a vast Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of billions of dollars.
- Investigation into Madoff fraud turns to a small circle of accountants
- UBP makes offer to Madoff victims

Wall Street finds optimism and closes higher
Financial companies and major banks led the way. Every sector was higher, from technology companies to car companies to retailers.
- U.S. retail sales drop not as bad as feared
- Asian stocks pull back as fears resurface
- Wall Street rises slightly a day after soaring

North Korea notifies agencies of coming launch
North Korea notified international authorities that it would launch a communications satellite, which the South said it would be in early April. The launch is thought to be a missile test.

Liechtenstein pledges tax openness
Liechtenstein said it would adopt global standards on transparency and information exchange in tax matters, turning up the heat on other tax havens to follow suit.

Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush sentenced to 3 years in prison
The verdict came after a short trial in which Muntadhar al-Zeidi, 30, pleaded not guilty to the charge and said his action at a December news conference was a "natural response to the occupation."

Obama seeks to get past differences on global financial plan
He is calling on foreign governments to increase their domestic spending to stimulate their economies and is asking for greater coordination of oversight.

U.S. weighs Iran route for NATO supplies
The effort is aimed at developing alternatives to routes through the Khyber Pass in Pakistan and to prepare for the possible loss of an air base in Kyrgyzstan.

'There' and 'here' blend in journalists' world
Foreign correspondents no longer cover one place for the exclusive benefit of readers in another place.

For Israeli children, a playground shielded from rockets
In a city often under fire from Gaza, playing outdoors is unsafe, so a Jewish fund builds a recreation center in a bunker.

Chloé: It's in the male
The house of Chloé, home of fluidity and femininity, offered a break dance between the sexes.