American set on fire by Afghan dies
An anthropologist embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan to help soldiers understand local customs has died more than two months after she was doused with fuel and set on fire.

Jobless rate jumps to 7.2 percent

The Labor Department reported Friday that the jobless rate rose to 7.2 percent in December and payrolls dropped by 524,000 jobs.

Kenya: 10 million at risk after harvests fail
Ten million people risk going hungry in Kenya after harvests failed because of drought, the government said Friday.

Ex-‘Sopranos' actor gets 10 years in prison

A former actor on "The Sopranos" was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for a botched burglary in the Bronx in which an accomplice shot and killed an off-duty police officer.

Patrick Swayze checks into hospital

Patrick Swayze has pneumonia and has checked himself into a hospital for observation, it was revealed Friday at a press event for the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles.

Obama: No torture on my watch

At a press conference to announce his CIA and national intelligence nominees, President-elect Barack Obama said Friday his administration would not compromise its ideals to fight terrorism.

Jobs outlook adds urgency to stimulus

Friday's employment report confirms an already bleak job market outlook. Analysts say that  even if all goes well  hiring probably won't pick up again until early 2010.

Citigroup director Robert Rubin resigns

Citigroup says board member Robert Rubin, the former U.S. Treasury secretary, has resigned as a senior adviser to the big financial services company.

Stocks end sharply lower on bleak jobs data
Stocks slumped Friday after the U.S. unemployment rate shot above 7 percent, signaling that Americans will be sticking to their tightened budgets for a while.

Boeing plane division to cut 4,500 jobs

Airplane maker Boeing Co. says it plans to cut about 4,500 jobs this year due to the global economic slowdown.