Gazprom set to halt gas to Ukraine
Negotiations over gas prices unraveled Wednesday and executives at the Russian natural gas monopoly said they were preparing to halt supplies to Ukraine on Thursday morning.

Two of China's quake victims rebuild their lives
Li Wanzhi and Wang Zhijun are slowly piecing together a future after a disaster that left 88,000 people dead or missing and five million homeless in the rugged hills of southwest China.

Cuban-Americans mark revolution's anniversary wearily
Fifty years after Fidel Castro seized power in Havana, South Florida's Cuban-Americans are wondering how long the pain must go on.

Israel rejects 48-hour cease-fire plan
With air attacks on Gaza in their fifth day, Israel said it would keep pressure on Hamas but was open to future diplomacy.
- U.S. presses Israel on cease-fire
- Fear and resolve as rockets head north into Israel
- Moderate Arab states feel popular anger over Israeli action
- Egyptians struggle over how to help Gaza

Blagojevich's first pick for Senate seat turned it down
Representative Danny Davis said an emissary of Governor Rod Blagojevich offered him the senate seat last week.
- Illinois governor names pick for Obama seat
- Roland Burris, a low-key groundbreaker
- Democrats seek to block appointee
- Blagojevich names Burris to replace Obama in Senate

Chinese court jails 11 in Microsoft piracy ring
Microsoft has called the group part of "the biggest software counterfeiting organization we have ever seen, by far" and estimated its global sales at more than $2 billion.

Russia aside, Georgia chief is pressed at home
Mikheil Saakashvili is facing political pressure from Russia and domestic rivals at a time when an economic downturn could upend Georgia's political order.

54 die in nightclub fire in Bangkok
Rescue workers say at least 54 New Year's revelers have died in a fire that swept through a nightclub in the Thai capital.

US deaths down in Iraq in 2008, up in Afghanistan
U.S. military deaths in Iraq plunged by two-thirds in 2008 from the previous year, a reflection of the improving security following the U.S. military's counterinsurgency campaign and al-Qaida's slow retreat.

Indonesia official acquitted in killing
An Indonesian court cleared a former deputy intelligence chief of any wrongdoing in connection with the murder of Indonesia's most celebrated human rights campaigner Wednesday.

Czech Republic faces challenges with EU presidency
The Czech Republic, the second post-communist EU newcomer to take the bloc's helm, will be tasked with implementing a $258 billion European economic stimulus package.

In 2009, economy will depend on unlocking credit
The length of the credit crisis will will depend on the availability of credit in all its forms.

Writing the Web's future in numerous languages
The globalization of the Web means that companies have to find ways to reach out to consumers in their native languages, a costly and time-consuming endeavor.

Golf majors for minors: Talk about a great short game
Brett Sodetz played in his first golf tournament at age 4, and at age 6 became a world champion.

As German neighborhood changes, raunchy shadow lingers
The recent reincarnation of a magazine known for its provocative mixture of satire, sex and left-wing politics is the latest sign of a neighborhood going rapidly upscale.