VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI on Friday reaffirmed his opposition to gay unions and condemned the trafficking of women and children. The pontiff said traditional marriage is an irreplacable good for the entire society and called the union between man and woman the “natural cradle” of life. He told …

SYDNEY, Australia – An Australian doctor proposed Monday that the government pay up to $47,000 for kidney donations to overcome a chronic shortage. The suggestion touched off debate around the country on the idea, which critics say will end in the poor selling their organs to the rich. Kidney specialist …

When green-minded groups conduct environmentally friendly projects to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas released in the atmosphere, they may take note of how much they are benefiting the environment. For instance, when a group conserves energy by generating electricity from windmills instead of by burning coal, they can keep …

WASHINGTON – President Bush nominated two new Republicans and one new Democrat to the Federal Election Commission Tuesday in an attempt to break a Senate confirmation deadlock that had paralyzed the regulatory agency. Bush resisted efforts to withdraw the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official whom …

A leading Italian-American group is accusing Spike Lee of having anti-Italian tendencies amid the flap between the director and Clint Eastwood over a lack of African-Americans in Eastwood’s World War II films. “Spike Lee is very talented, but I sometimes wish he’d practice what he preaches,” said Bill Dal Cerro, …

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Saturday and capped a successful expansion job at the international space station, more spacious and robust thanks to a new billion-dollar science lab. The shuttle descended through a slightly cloudy sky and landed at 11:15 …

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Garden City residents are being told to take a good look at their money before they spend it. Several phony $20 bills have shown up around town in recent weeks, according to police. Sgt. Michael Reagle said the bills are being used even though they have …

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia will call for a summit between oil producing countries and consumer states to discuss soaring energy prices, Information and Culture Minister Iyad Madani said Monday. The kingdom will also work with OPEC to “guarantee the availability of oil supplies now and in the future,” …

Stuck in a traffic jam and really hoping you could update your Facebook page? You soon may be able to in a Chrysler. The No. 3 of the Big Three U.S. automakers will announce a wireless Internet-access option for all 2009 models on Thursday, according to various media reports. Costs …

LOS ANGELES – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s love for children is by no means limited to their own: The couple has donated $1 million to help kids affected by the war in Iraq, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict announced Wednesday. The organization will distribute the donation, made …