Pirates open fire on U.S. cruise ship

Pirates near Somalia chased and shot at a U.S. cruise liner with more than 1,000 people on board but failed to hijack the vessel, a maritime official said Tuesday.

Second death sentence for 'Chemical Ali'

A court sentenced Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin, known as "Chemical Ali," to death Tuesday after convicting him of crimes against humanity while crushing the 1991 Shiite uprising in Iraq.

Rice gives piano recital fit for a queen

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave a piano recital for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

Rapport with Obama will be key for Clinton

Hillary Clinton's success as secretary of state may depend as much on Obama's willingness to admit her to his inner circle as her mastery of the job, officials say.

Ga. runoff could decide balance of power

Georgia voters are returning to the polls Tuesday to decide one of two unresolved U.S. Senate races that Democrats need to win for a 60-seat majority impervious to GOP filibusters.

British Airways in merger talks with Qantas
British Airways PLC said Tuesday it is in talks with Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd. about a potential merger.

Retailers tiptoe between Christmas, holidays

As American shoppers embark on their annual shopping binge , a prickly marketing question splits American consumers and stores: "Christmas" or "holiday"?

Celizic: Burress should've packed his brain, not a gun

Celizic: I keep getting this mental picture of Plaxico Burress going through his mental checklist last Friday night as he left his palatial home in New Jersey and headed for the bright lights of Manhattan: aftershave, check; wallet, check; credit cards, check; wad of cash, check; Glock, check. What a moron.

Bush faces historic pardon choice

Anticipation is growing over possible pardons by President  Bush. Conservative columnist William Kristol argues that the president should consider pardoning "everyone who served in good faith in the war on terror."