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.

Bush offers strong support for Georgia
In a speech to veterans of foreign wars Wednesday, President Bush offered strong support for Georgia, condemning Russia's brutal crackdown in the former Soviet republic.

Life for man who caused train deaths
A judge has sentenced a man convicted of causing a deadly commuter rail crash to 11 consecutive life sentences, denouncing him as a remorseless killer.

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.

Is it really just ‘the economy, stupid'?

The battle for electoral votes will be fought in high unemployment states such as Michigan, but also in places with relatively low unemployment such as Virginia.

Rogue monkey eludes Tokyo police

A rogue monkey holed up at a Tokyo train station for more than two hours on Wednesday before giving dozens of net-wielding police officers the slip among crowds of excited children and passersby.

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.

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.