Blasts reportedly kill 11 in Algeria
Twin car bombings at a hotel and military headquarters killed 11 people and wounded 31 others on Wednesday, according to local reports.
Former Chinese leader dies at 87
Hua Guofeng, who briefly ruled China as Mao Zedong's handpicked successor before being toppled by reformists, died Wednesday. He was 87.
School spankings: Minorities get more
A quarter of a million schoolchildren were paddled in 2007 — and black children, American Indians and kids with disabilities got a disproportionate share, according to a study.
Rep. Tubbs Jones critical after aneurysm
Doctors said Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones is in "critical condition," despite reports from a Cleveland newspaper that the Democrat died after suffering a brain aneurysm.
At least 149 dead in Madrid jet crash
A Spanish airliner taking 175 people to the Canary Islands crashed Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid's Barajas airport, killing 149 people aboard, officials said.
Bhutto's widower wins backing for presidency
A major opposition party on Wednesday backed Benazir Bhutto's widower to become Pakistan's president, as the power struggle following the resignation of Pervez Musharraf intensified.
Pilot sues to get off terror watch list
A commercial airline pilot and convert to Islam who says his name is on the U.S. government's secret terrorist watch list has filed a federal lawsuit against the Homeland Security Department.
World's tallest man reclaims title
Guinness World Records has returned the title of world's tallest man to China's Bao Xishun after Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk refused to be measured under new guidelines.
Olympics Day 12: Bolt sets WR in 200
Day 12 highlights: Usain Bolt became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics. Bolt is also the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics.
Russians dig in deep within Georgia
Russian forces on Wednesday built a sentry post just 30 miles from the Georgian capital, appearing to dig in to positions deep inside Georgia despite pledges to pull back.
