Official Visits

Pope Benedict XVI made one final appeal at the close of his African pilgrimage, urging more solidarity among nations and continents so that Earth's resources are more equally shared with the world's poor. In his airport departure speech, the pontiff also urged Angola's leaders to make "the fundamental aspirations of the most needy people" their main concern. "Our hearts cannot be at peace as long as there are brothers that suffer the lack of food, work, a house and other fundamental goods," the 81-year-old pontiff said, standing in sweltering heat under a canopy near the chartered Alitalia plane that later flew him back to Rome.

Action will be taken against six private pilots who violated flight restrictions that were in effect during President Obama's visit to Los Angeles this week, Federal Aviation Administration officials said Thursday. Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman, said the pilots face possible suspensions and revocations of their pilot certificates for intruding into restricted airspace between 1:05 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, when the security measures were lifted. Local air traffic controllers observed the errant flights and contacted the pilots.

President Jacob Zuma will be "more vocal" than his predecessor about bringing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's party to task for harassing rival politicians, a South African official said Wednesday. Attacks by Mugabe's followers on activists of a rival party, which is now in a strained coalition in Zimbabwe, "are a hindrance to progress" in the impoverished country, said Gwede Mantashe, secretary- general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress. Zuma is going to Zimbabwe today, his first visit to the neighboring country as president.

President Obama told Chinese students today that the U.S. does not wish to contain China's rise, but also offered a gentle critique of their country's approach to human rights. "We welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations," Obama said at the start of a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai as he began the China leg of his tour of Asia.

Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass on Wednesday for hundreds of thousands of faithful at an open-air lakeside amphitheater here, hours after the 19th bombing of a Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua in 10 months. Refraining from comment on the bombings, the 75-year-old pontiff favorably compared this visit--the second stop on a four-country tour--to his 1983 experience here. That time, chanting Sandinistas drowned out his words.

The people of Guatemala exuberantly welcomed Pope John Paul II on Monday, with ephemeral carpets of colored sawdust and flower petals covering his route through the capital's streets. Thousands crowded into the main square to receive his blessing. "I come as a pilgrim of love and hope," the pontiff said upon arriving for his first visit to Central America in 13 years. "Today we see on the horizon the hope of peace. . . .

With some nervousness, high school junior Gina Flores took the microphone and introduced her father's boss to about 100 of her classmates at San Fernando High School Tuesday morning. Her father's boss is Rep. Howard Berman (D-Panorama City), who in November was reelected in the eastern San Fernando Valley's 26th Congressional District. He spoke to students about immigration, education and the growing influence of Latinos in state government.

In a fresh sign of warming U.S.-China ties, the two nations said here Wednesday that Secretary of State Warren Christopher will visit Beijing in November. The planned visit was announced by Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen immediately after a meeting with Christopher and was confirmed by a senior U.S. official who briefed reporters. Agreement was also reached on a visit to Washington by Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian by the end of this year, the U.S. official said.

China warned that the United States will face "resolute opposition" from China if it allows recently reelected Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to accept an invitation from Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) to visit Washington. But Lee, in a written response to questions from the Wall Street Journal, said he has no plans to travel overseas "for quite a while" because he has a full agenda.

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan visited the state Capitol on Tuesday and raced between so many meetings that he easily could have been mistaken for an aspiring chief executive of the state. "You're not house hunting are you, Dick?" joked Los Angeles City Council President Richard Ferraro, who was part of the mayor's entourage on the fast-paced lobbying trip. "I have no interest, I don't," replied Riordan, who said Sacramento is a nice place to visit but not to live in as governor.