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.

Al-Maliki: Security pact leads to sovereignty

Iraq's prime minister said Tuesday that a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, though imperfect, was a step toward his country's full sovereignty.

Auto execs ask Congress for aid

Detroit's Big Three automakers are pleading with Congress for a $25 billion lifeline to save their once-proud companies from collapse, warning of broader peril for the national economy as well.

Ships diverted after oil tanker hijacked

Pirates who seized a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million in crude oil anchored the ship within sight of impoverished Somali fishing villages Tuesday.

Germans unearth Stone Age family

A Stone Age burial in central Germany has yielded the earliest evidence of people living together as a family.

New House Dems wary on taxes, bailout

New House Democrats, especially those elected from Republican-leaning districts, are wary of tax increases and of a taxpayer-funded bailout for the Big Three U.S. automakers.

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.

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.

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