Tens of thousands of people packed a soccer stadium in Cameroon Thursday, including President Paul Biya and his wife, for the first large-scale mass of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to Africa. Africa is the last continent that Benedict had left to visit, and one he could not avoid, said David Gibson, a biographer of the pope. "He knows he has to do this. He knows Africa is the future of the (Roman Catholic) Church, as it is for all ...

It carries the nickname "America's Finest City," and right now it appears San Diego is living up to the hype. Though the international financial crisis has precipitated economic woe across the United States, developments in San Diego's super-yacht industry don't appear to be slowing. Fifth Avenue Landing, a stylish new facility promising the ultimate docking experience for super-yachts up to 300 feet long, has just opened in city's downtown area. The marina, which is close to local attractions and top ...

The World Bank cut China's economic growth forecast in 2009 to 6.5 percent Wednesday, down a full percentage point from November's projection. Despite the downgrade, "China is a relative bright spot in an otherwise gloomy global economy," said the World Bank's David Dollar. Last week, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reiterated projections that the nation's economy will grow by 8 percent in 2009, despite doubts expressed by domestic and international economic analysts. Some have forecast growth as low as 5 percent. ...

Pope Benedict XVI refused Wednesday to soften the Vatican's ban on condom use as he arrived in Africa for his first visit to the continent as pope. He landed in Cameroon, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Angola. Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region of the world, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization. There has been fierce debate between those who advocate the ...

Austrian investigators Monday released more details about the elaborate underground cellar where Josef Fritzl kept his daughter imprisoned for 24 years, along with three of their children.

His colleagues call him the Flying Dutchman because of all the time Yvo de Boer spends in the air, traveling from one world capital to another as he tries to stitch together a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions — and possible save the world. As the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , de Boer is the U.N.'s point man for the ongoing global effort to plan a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, ...

It's the phenomenally popular virtual football game that has been accused of taking over players' lives -- even reportedly wrecking relationships and careers. The simple premise behind "Football Manager" is to give armchair fans a chance to play real-life managers at their own game. Gamers can choose any football club in the world, take their pick of the world's best players for their fantasy teams and play against other teams on the Internet. They can upgrade the club's playing facilities ...

President Barack Obama faces a daunting political reality: the world he envisioned in the spring and summer of 2008, when he was formulating his political strategy and building his political alliances, has been replaced by a world in economic danger. His $3.5 trillion budget might make sense if these were normal times, with a newly elected, very liberal Administration wanting to focus on reshaping America and redistributing wealth. However, these are not normal times. We are in the midst of ...

If you're one of the dwindling ranks of the still-employed, you know you're among a fortunate bunch. In this market, a job is about the only asset that still has value. So, if your livelihood were threatened, how far would you go to hang onto it? Would you lie to your colleagues? Would you flirt with your boss? Those were some of the questions posed to 1,200 American workers in a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive from Feb. 25 ...

If you wanted to make a list of important books you should read, what would you choose? Anna Karenina, maybe? The Bible? How about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? It may not be at the top of your list, but the DSM, as it's usually called, is one of the most important books in the world. It attempts to categorize, describe and give a code number to literally every problem that can occur in your mind, from ...