Intel picks signal break from Bush

President-elect Barack Obama's decision to fill the nation's top intelligence jobs with two men short on direct experience in intelligence gathering surprised the spy community and signaled the Democrat's intention for a clean break from Bush administration policies.

Obama, CNN Twitter accounts hacked
Social networking tool Twitter was hit by a major hacker attack on Monday, with several "high profile" accounts — including that of President-elect Barack Obama — taken over by computer criminals, the company said.

Taliban claim 5,220 foreign troops killed
The Taliban has long exaggerated its military successes, but its figures for 2008 may be the militia's most startling claims yet.

Stocks end trading day with modest losses
Caution returned to Wall Street Monday as investors gave back some gains from last week's rally even as they found some encouragement from a report on construction spending.

U.S. tourist stabbed in Rome
An American tourist from California is in serious condition in a Rome hospital after being stabbed outside a bar in downtown Rome.

Man holding 3 hostages surrenders

A former South Carolina policeman who fired shots from a Georgia motel while holding his infant son and two women hostage surrendered peacefully Monday after a 13-hour standoff.

Griffin Bell, Carter's attorney general, dies

Griffin B. Bell, the shrewd lawyer who grew up with Jimmy Carter and became U.S. attorney general after Carter was elected president, died at an Atlanta hospital Monday. He was 90.

Premium tuna fetches $100,000 at auction

Two sushi bar owners paid more than $100,000 for a Japanese bluefin tuna at a Tokyo fish auction Monday, several times the average price and the highest in nearly a decade, market officials said.

5 killed in fire at Texas homeless shelter

Fire tore through a small-town homeless shelter early Monday, partially collapsing the building and killing five men, fire officials said.