Raft made of plastic bottles crosses Pacific

Tanned, dirty and hungry, two men who spent three months crossing the Pacific on a raft made of plastic bottles to raise awareness of ocean debris finally stepped onto dry land.

Woman saves baby's life — by e-mail

It wasn't easy for Madeleine Robb to send an e-mail to another mom telling her that her baby might have a deadly eye cancer — but her warning may have saved the life of 1-year-old Rowan Santos. "I really had no option," Robb said.

Museum defies pope over crucified frog

An art museum in northern Italy said Thursday it will continue displaying a sculpture portraying a green frog nailed to a cross that has angered Pope Benedict XVI and local officials.

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.

NYT: New hope 45 years after King's dream

Many veterans of the March on Washington will gather at televisions Thursday night and watch an event they would have considered impossible not just in 1963, but perhaps in 1983, or 1993.

GDP stronger than expected
The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

Anxious freshmen meeting first on Facebook

Filled with going-to-college angst, many incoming freshmen spent plenty of time this summer soaking up campus life and getting to know their roomies and classmates first on Facebook.

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 .