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The article reports on the terrorist attacks in Paris, France on January 7, 2015 and its significance to free speech, Islamic extremism, assimilation, and threats against the U.S. Topics mentioned include thoughts from U.S. President Barack Obama on the attacks, the difference between creating cartoons and expressing support for terrorism according to French lawyer Mathieu Davy, and the percentage of Muslim population in France as of February 23, 2015.

The article discusses the post-apartheid transformation of South Africa as demonstrated by the murder trial of double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius and the black judge presiding over it. Topics covered include the different legal system of South Africa, how the legacy of racial tensions and violence persists in the country, and white South Africans' deep fear of crime and home invasions. INSET: Fallen Hero.

The article focuses on independence for Scotland from Great Britain. Brief history and timeline of the tensions between Scotland and England are presented wherein it goes back 2,000 years. Rising support for the secession efforts are discussed including the Scottish National Party gaining a majority in the Scottish Parliament. Also discussed is a referendum on the issue agreed upon by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Scottish leader Alex Salmond.

The article discusses the global response to the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, noting that the race focuses on two main protagonists, Senator Barack Obama Senator Hillary Clinton. Questions being asked worldwide are about the U.S. presence in Iraq, the war on terrorism and the Israeli and Palestinian issues. In Mexico, people are concerned about immigration, Asians want a president who is less of a protectionist while the emergence of China as a world power need to be addressed too, the author says.

The article focuses the stand of the British government on the debate over the full-face veil worn by some Muslim women and how Muslims are assimilating in the country. According to House of Commons leader Jack Straw, the veil is a visible statement of separation and difference and it jeopardizes the British social harmony. The prevalence of terrorism and the debate over veils have added pressures on British Muslims who have been complaining about discrimination for several years.

The article focuses on the Transportation Security Administrations' (TSA) new program called Screening Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) used in terrorism prevention. The SPOT program is utilized at Dulles Airport and about a dozen other airports in the country. Rather than looking for bombs, guns, or knives, SPOT security officers try to catch terrorists by observing travelers' facial expressions, body and eye movements, vocal pitch change and other signs of stress and disorientation.

This article presents some highlights of the eight World Scrabble Championships held in London, England, in November 2005. The individual who was declared champion is noted. The importance of numerical skill in scrabble is explained by John O'Laughlin, a scrabble player from Wisconsin. The competition's top prize is mentioned.

This article deals briefly with the controversy among publishers, authors and online vendors over the plan of Amazon and Google to develop systems that allow users to purchase and download any page, section, or chapter of a book. Trade groups' allegation against the two companies is noted. An idea on how the controversy might be resolved is considered.

This article presents graphs that show the 2005 U.S. federal budget.

This article presents an interview with Michael Sessions, mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan, about his new responsibilities. In this interview, Sessions talks about the factors that influenced him to run for mayor, the biggest challenge he faced in getting elected, and whether he has future plans to run for U.S. President.

This section presents a photograph showing a diver named Fabien Cousteau climbing inside his submarine to get close with great white sharks and study their behavior.

This article focuses on the confusion among counties in Indiana over which time zone to follow. The reason why most Indiana counties refused to go on daylight saving time for the past 30 years is noted. The state government decided that all of the counties will go on daylight saving time starting in April 2006. A number of counties have petitioned to switch over to Central time.

This article reports briefly on a device that has the capability to emit a pulsating noise at a frequency that is inaudible to anyone over 30 invented by Howard Stapleton, a British security consultant. The device is aimed at helping store owners keep young people away from hanging out in front of their business premises.

This article reports on the discovery of a 3,000-year-old inscription on a stone believed to be the earliest known version of the Hebrew alphabet just south of Jerusalem in July 2005. The key features of the inscription are described. The significance of the discovery is noted by Ron E. Tappy, an archeologist at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania.

This section presents a variety of statistics. Seventy-two percent of the increase in manufacturing jobs in the U.S. were created by foreign automakers since 1993. The peak price of a share of Google on stock on November 28, 2005 was $431. The estimated number of HIV-positive persons worldwide is 40 million.

This article introduces one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. called lacrosse. The reason why this sport attracts both boys and girls is noted. The total number of U.S. high school students who play lacrosse as of January 2006 is given. A photograph showing girls playing lacrosse in the All-Star Express tournament in Maryland in July is presented.

This article presents some quotes. Chinese government spokesman Zhou Liwei suggests what those who are vaccinating China's chickens against bird flu need to do when they get too tired. A video game design student at Parsons School of Design in New York talks about his career of making computer games. Patrick Butler of the International Center for Journalists comments about reports that the U.S. Department of Defense paid Iraqi newspapers to run positive stories written by the U.S. military.