Like father, like son
Diplomat turned politician Ilham Aliyev is to succeed his father Haydar as president of Azerbaijan to the chagrin of Azeri opposition parties, writes Mustafa El-Labbad

The crackdown
John Ashcroft has deported more Arabs and Muslims in 2002 than all the foreigners deported in the infamous Palmer raids of 1919. Robert Younes writes from Maryland

Not on Pyongyang's terms
North Korea has finally consented to an open discussion on its nuclear programme with its neighbours and the United States, writes Anayat Durrani from Washington