CNN.com Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Cuban President Raul Castro is taking over leadership of a country whose government believes its citizens are not working hard enough. The new president, who took the reins of power Sunday from his ailing brother, Fidel, 81, has said the country must become more productive.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook Britain early Wednesday, centered on the east coast north of London, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Youssif pats his cheeks with both hands, proudly showing off that his burn scars are now gone. "No hurt," he says in English. He then races to get his kindergarten portfolio. Youssif began attending school last month, one year to the day he was so savagely attacked in Baghdad.

Massive power outages struck central and south Florida this afternoon, with power reported out on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, police and utility officials said. Hundreds of thousands were affected, but utility officials said most power should be restored by nightfall.

One of five Britons believed to have been kidnapped May 29 in Baghdad pleaded Tuesday with the British government to release prisoners sought by his captors so "we can go home."

Three national polls of Democrats show Sen. Barack Obama is the front-runner for the nomination. But what's behind this latest momentum?

It was a hot and muggy night in June 1999 as I drove down the nearly vacant highways of Houston. The temperature had been climbing all across the city. To my left was the eight wonder of the world, known in Space City (Houston, Texas) as the Astrodome. And to my right was a man who could easily be considered a wonder of this world, Harvard's Dr. Cornel West (he's since moved to Princeton).

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From mortgages to refinancing and home equity lines of credit -- it's getting harder for people to qualify for a loan. And that makes your credit score even more vital.