The name "Taiwan" would soon replace "China" on the island's stamps, a move likely to anger Beijing, Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, said Thursday. Labels and titles are sensitive issues in both Taiwan and China, which split amid civil war in 1949.
Hundreds of endangered sea turtles have been found dead along Bangladesh's coast in the past two weeks, triggering concerns about pollution and local fishing practices, an official said Thursday.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro's health has improved following a post-intestinal surgery period in which the aging revolutionary icon temporarily stopped eating, Venezuela's ambassador to Cuba said Thursday.
A freight train struck a van at a rural Alabama crossing early Thursday, killing four men on their way to construction jobs and injuring four others, authorities said. The collision occurred about 5:40 a.m., when it was still dark, at a crossing near U.S. Highway 31. \nOnly six soccer stadiums in Italy meet security requirements, meaning that league games in other arenas will be played without fans following last week's death of a police officer during riots at a game in Sicily.
Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria broke the U.S. record of most time walking in space Thursday as he and another astronaut did maintenance work outside the international space station during their third spacewalk in nine days. Lopez-Alegria surpassed the previous U.S. record of just more than 58 hours midway through his duties with fellow American Sunita Williams.
A Marine facing life in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man asked to withdraw his pleas Thursday, saying he no longer believes he's guilty. Cpl. Trent Thomas, 25, pleaded guilty Jan. 18 to eight felonies including kidnapping, murder and assault.
Researchers at the University of Michigan are trying to determine whether wearing surgical masks and hand sanitizing can prevent the spread of flu or other respiratory illnesses. Students in the study have been divided into three groups: those who only wear masks; those who wear masks and use hand sanitizer; and those who do neither.
