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.

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.

Iraq sets date for long-awaited elections
Iraq said that it will hold long-awaited provincial elections on Jan. 31, a step forward for U.S.-backed efforts to promote reconciliation, although a key northern area will not participate.

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.

NYT: Bill Clinton's dealings under review

Aides to Barack Obama said the president-elect would not formally offer Hillary Rodham Clinton a Cabinet post unless he was satisfied that Bill Clinton's activities would not pose a conflict.

Oral Roberts U. to lay off 100 workers

Oral Roberts University will lay off about 100 employees, days after it agreed to a near-$450,000 separation agreement with its former president who resigned amid a spending scandal.

Lawyer: Jackson too sick to travel for trial

Michael Jackson's attorney said Tuesday that the pop star might be too sick to travel to London to testify in a suit claiming he owes an Arab sheikh $7 million.

Admirals, generals: Let gays serve openly
More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.

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.