Woman fined in toilet corpse case
A woman accused of helping her religious leader hide a decaying corpse in her toilet so they could collect Social Security was convicted of a misdemeanor in a deal for her to testify against the leader.

Blind woman threatened over 1-cent bill
A 74-year-old blind woman was shocked when her daughter found a letter from the city saying a lien would be placed on her home unless she paid an overdue water bill.

Violence a political danger for Chávez

Many Venezuelans who once supported the Hugo Chavez are now considering a vote against the president's candidates because of the government's hapless response to rising crime rates.

Israeli tanks rumble into Gaza

Israeli tanks forged into the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, drawing rocket and mortar fire from Palestinian militants, militant groups said.

Tainted meats point to superbug C. diff in food

A nasty intestinal germ found in hospitals is also showing up in grocery store meats, raising the possibility that C. diff is transmitted through food, research shows.

Boy calmly talks about dad's death
An 8-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting his father and another man is shown in a video calmly saying that he found the men lying in his home after returning from school.

Experts warn of water shortages by 2080

Half the world's population could face a shortage of clean water by 2080 because of climate change, experts warned Tuesday.

Asia stocks sink as layoffs add to gloom

Asian stock markets sank after Wall Street retreated and global financial firms announced another round of massive layoffs, adding to gloom about the world economy. European stocks traded lower.

Administration moves to protect appointees
Political appointees are shifted to career civil service posts as the Bush administration tries to maintain its regulatory initiatives.