Gustav may raise gas 15 cents a gallon

Oil prices shot above $120 a barrel and then pulled back as traders bet the government would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if Tropical Storm Gustav disrupts production.

Audit: China mismanaged $6.7 billion
China's central government misused or mismanaged more than $6.73 billion last year, including using disaster relief money to build government offices , the National Audit Office said .

Russia-U.S. nuclear deal on hold
A key civil nuclear agreement between Russia and the U.S. looks likely to be shelved until next year at the earliest amid mounting tensions over the fate of Georgia's breakaway republics.

Scoop: Tim Gunn calls Miley Cyrus ‘tarty'

"I don't want her to look like she's going into a convent school, but it's just a little too much for a 15-year-old," the "Project Runway" mentor told OK! magazine about Cyrus' style.

Marine eyes Iraq to Afghanistan shift
The top U.S. Marine officer said he could reduce his 25,000-strong force in the former al-Qaida stronghold in Iraq to reinforce military operations against a growing Taliban threat in Afghanistan.

Study: Life span tied to location

Major inequalities in health and life expectancy persist worldwide, according to an independent World Health Organization commission.

NYT: Stadium scene poses political risks
NYT: On Wednesday, workers were still making changes to Invesco Field so it would feel more intimate, less like the boisterous rallies that served Mr. Obama well in the primaries but created a celebrity image that dogs him.

Retailer Sears offers a downbeat outlook
Sears Holdings Corp. offered a downbeat outlook Thursday, predicting that sales and gross profit margins will likely continue to be pressured for the rest of the year.

Japanese women shy from dual mommy role
As Japan's birthrate keeps dropping, experts worry about women's growing willingness to do without children - or childish husbands.