At the height of the global financial crisis, world leaders braced for a trade war. Governments were desperate to save jobs and protect their industries from foreign competition. They generally avoided protectionism, but there's a new danger. When finance ministers gather in Washington D.C. this week, they'll talk about how to avert a currency war.

The world's biggest book fair in Frankfurt is used to seeing some big book launches, but none came larger than a six-by-nine-foot (two-by-three-metre) Atlas unveiled on Wednesday.

World Space Week: This week, organizations across the globe celebrate the 11th annual World Space Week, which highlights the contributions of space science and technology to life on Earth.

World stock markets mostly posted modest gains Tuesday as investors weighed a surprise rate cut in Japan against a credit agency warning that Ireland's debt rating may be downgraded.

World demand for steel is likely to rebound this year, growing by 13.1 percent after a contraction in 2009, and should hit a record high in 2011, the World Steel Association said on Monday.

World stocks surged to a five-month high and the U.S. dollar fell broadly on Tuesday after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly cut interest rates, fueling speculation that other governments will take additional actions to reinvigorate the global economic recovery.

The USA won the women's basketball world championship with a 89-69 victory over the Czech Republic.

World stock markets rallied Wednesday, buoyed by growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will take steps to bolster the U.S. economy following the Bank of Japan's surprise interest rate cut.

The world's biggest book fair opened Tuesday, with an increased number of exhibitors expected to focus on the digital and multimedia sectors that are rapidly transforming the industry.

Countries from around the world pledged Tuesday to pour 11.7 billion dollars into a fight against AIDS and other deadly diseases.