Cuban boxer regrets defecting

Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux pledged allegiance to Fidel Castro Wednesday after abandoning his team in Brazil. Two-time bantamweight Olympic champion Rigondeaux and another champion boxer disappeared in July during the Pan American games in Rio de Janeiro.

Watch As Diver Breaks Record for Holding Breath

Tom Sietas has broken his own Guinness World Record for underwater breath holding. He lasted 15 minutes and two seconds, breaking his previous record of 14:25. The record was set during a segment of Live With Regis and Kelly in New York.

Brazil's favela fashion show

A school for fashion models in one of Rio's most notorious favelas, Lente de Sonhos, is proving to be quite a hit, not just with its students who dream of a better life, but with also with local residents who were the special guests at their violent neighbourhood's first fashion show.

Cat woman - 130 times

A Russian woman has opened her tiny two-room apartment to strangers in need - she's taken in 130 stray cats. 50-year-old Nina Kostsovo lives in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. She picked up her first street cat 15 years ago and has since not been able to let a cat in need pass by without helping it.

Happy not snappy!

Ever imagined brushing a crocodile's teeth or tickling its underbelly? A zoo in Taiwan can help. It has various crocodile species and encourages tourists from around the world to get up close and personal with the reptiles. Crocodile expert Chiu Hsi-he created the collection of friendly crocs at a zoo in Tianan, offering visitors a different type of wildlife experience.

Food vendor takes it away with Kebab rap

A Turkish takeaway food vendor in Paris is enjoying great success on the Internet with his song "Eat kebab". Now's he's released a record with a major label.

Woman Has Pencil Removed From Head

A woman in Germany has had a pencil removed from her head after more than 50 years.

AP Top Stories for Thursday, Aug. 9th

Here's the latest news for Thursday, Aug. 9th: Miners still trapped in Utah; Police have leads in New Jersey student executions; New York robbery on tape; Shuttle Endeavor launches.

Richard Branson After Flight

Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson says he flew "economy" on the maiden flight of Virgin America airline from New York to San Francisco on Wednesday. And despite a weather delay in New York, explains why Virgin may one day better avoid delays.

True Budget Computer, $99

Walt Mossberg says the Zonbu desktop involves too many compromises. You don't store your files on the energy-saving computer, but on the manufacturing company's server for a monthly fee.

Caught on Tape: Bizarre Armed Robbery

An Albany man faces robbery charges after surveillance cameras show him robbing a convenience store at gunpoint before the clerk grabbed the weapon when the robber placed it on the counter.

Videogame Marketing Ramps Up

WSJ's Nick Wingfield previews graphics and advertising for Halo3, a new videogame from Microsoft that's garnered high sales expectations.

Raw Video: New Bridge Collapse Images

FEMA releases close up pictures of the collapse site as the search continues Wednesday for the eight people who are believed to have been buried in the wreckage of last week's bridge collapse.

Peek Into a 'Steampunk' Workshop

Technofiles are tapping into a movement known as "steampunk," where computers, keyboards and other gadgets are reimagined as if built during the Victorian era. WSJ.com's Andy Jordan reports.

Stories About War

Wonder Land columnist Dan Henninger discusses a one-man show about men at war, amid the backdrop of "Iraq fatigue."

Washington Post's Anne Kornblut

MarketWatch media columnist Jon Friedman says Washington Post reporter Anne Kornblut exemplifies the multimedia, multiplatform skills needed by today's journalists.

Catching a piece of history

Auction house experts estimate the value of the ball around $500,000.

Teacher-Astronaut takes off

For the latest mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, seven astronauts are assigned to the flight, but the spotlight is on teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan.

On the Money: Saving on Pricey College Books

With the high costs of textbooks piling up, college students are casting wider nets to try to save cash, including going online.

`Wedding Dash' Brings Intensity to Casual Games

The AP's Matt Slagle says casual games like 'Wedding Dash' can be very deceptive. Though laughably easy at first, this taskmaster's worst nightmare quickly becomes a dizzying job of wedding reception management.

New Music: UGK With Andre 3000, Kat DeLuna

UGK releases their latest album, 'Underground Kings,' which features an all-star lineup of guests including Andre 3000. Constantine Maroulis and Kat DeLuna offer their debut records. Also out this week is the latest from Fuel.

50 Cent Teams Up With Timberlake, Timbaland

Ahead of the Sept. 11 release of his new album, rapper 50 Cent talks about the record's first single, 'Ayo Technology,' and guest appearances by Justin Timberlake and revered music producer Timberland.

Elvis Lives...In Thailand!

As the anniversary of his death approaches on August 16, Elvis impersonators in Thailand took part in a concert to celebrate the legacy of the 'King of Rock and Roll.'

5 Pointz: Making Graffiti Legit

Graffiti artists have a space to legally paint in a New York City warehouse known as 5 Pointz.

A 'free Market' That Doesn't Want Your Money

In San Francisco, not far from the neighborhood that the hippies of the 1960s called home, there's now a 'Really Free Market' which aims to live up to the counterculture ideal of just giving stuff away.

Mexican Town Eerily Populated by Clay Statues

A Mexican artist is populating a town with clay statues, an ode to the emptiness of the countryside, and tribute to the struggle of migrant workers.

Mystery of LEGO invasion

A giant "LEGO" man has been washed up on a Dutch beach but no one knows where it came from or what it is.

Workers at a drinks stall fished the giant, smiling "LEGO" man from the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort.

They dragged the 2.5-metre (8-foot) tall model with a yellow head and blue torso from the sea and placed it in the sand, where crowds quickly gathered around it.