Deep freeze
Germans face a diplomatic cold shoulder in response to their adamant stance against military action in Iraq, writes Youssef Fadel from Berlin

Iraqi expectations
Britain's Conservative Party is in disarray. Slumping in the polls and beset by scandal and weak leadership, the only thing they stand strong on is the removal of Saddam Hussein. James Corbett reports from Bournemouth

Labour fights back
Italy's labour movement has gained momentum since last July's anti-globalisation march in Genoa, writes Faiza Rady

Balinese fallout
The war on terror has finally reached Indonesia, but with far-reaching consequences including the potential blurring of the lines between a civilian government and the military, writes Damien Kingsbury from Melbourne

Equality in the Union
The African Union is paving the way to gender equality, at least within its own secretariat, if not throughout the continent. Akyaaba Addai-Sebo reports from Addis Ababa

The fire next time
In an attempt to diffuse tensions between his country and the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has bent over backwards to comply with the Bush administration's demands. Earlier this week, Kim reportedly agreed to allow international inspections of his country's nuclear facilities.. --read on--

Clearing the path for change
Where diplomats fail, scholars pick up the slack -- or so the story goes. Nyier Abdou seeks clarity from a conference on cultural exchange at one of America's top universities