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Female circumcision has been illegal in Egypt for years, but authorities are making a stronger push to eradicate it after a young girl died last month during the procedure.

Experts say it's the only crime that offenders are more likely to repeat with age: sexual abuse. And now, prison wards around the country are filling up with geriatric sex offenders. Laura Sullivan takes an inside look at one Pennsylvania prison.

Chicago passes a city ordinance that would require big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target to pay workers at least $13 an hour in wages and benefits within the next few years.Opponents are calling the measure illegal and planning to sue. Even Chicago's mayor is opposed. But for Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, the main question is whether the ordinance will bring better jobs or chase new ones away.

Bank of America Corp. officials say the company has agreed to buy Countrywide Financial for $4 billion in stock. The acquisition will make Charlotte-based Bank of America the nation's biggest mortgage lender and loan servicer.

At least 10 people were killed -- and 40 injured -- in the Midwest after a series of tornadoes swept across the Midwest. The bulk of the deaths occurred in Missouri. Crews assessing the damage Monday say it is remarkable more people weren't hurt.

Stanley Tookie Williams, a co-founder of the Crips gang, dies by lethal injection at San Quentin prison, where spent the last 25 years of his life. Supporters said the convicted killer was a changed man who worked from behind bars to end gang violence.

Beijing is tearing down many of its historic districts to make way for high-rise apartments and office towers. In the process, the sounds of the city's old neighborhoods are gradually falling silent.

Civilian truck drivers who haul freight between military bases in Iraq find themselves on the war's frontlines. The constant exposure to violence puts them at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. And some complain they're forgotten once they return home.

Exxon Mobil's reports fourth-quarter profits of $10.7 billion, up 27 percent over the same quarter in 2004. It's a company record and one of the largest quarterly profits in U.S. history. The company's robust earnings have attracted strong criticism and calls for a windfall profits tax.

As it prepares to hold its first direct elections in 46 years, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces steep hurdles, including how to get election material to 50,000 polling stations. Some observers say Congo isn't ready for Sunday's balloting.