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Offers a look at the background and conservatism of Pope Benedict XVI, formerly known as Joseph Ratzinger. Role of Ratzinger in the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s; Birth of Ratzinger in Germany to a Catholic family; Report that Ratzinger was anti-National Socialism, though he served in the Hitler Youth; Reference to the book "Cardinal Ratzinger: The Vatican's Enforcer of the Faith," by John Allen; Reforms made at the Second Vatican Council including a loosening of the church's hierarchical authority and an honoring of individual freedom of conscience; Move of Ratzinger towards conservatism.

Focuses on the trade of nuclear contraband in light of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the allegations that Osama bin Laden has tried to obtain nuclear weapons. Details surrounding allegations of terrorist traders in Russia, Georgia, and Bulgaria; Strategies of smugglers to avoid customs officials; Discussion of so-called dirty bombs and their impact; Installation of radiation detectors by Turkey; Role of the United States in increasing security at nuclear-material storage sites.

Profiles Mohamed Atta, a terrorist believed to be the leader of a gang of terrorists which attacked the United States in September, 2001. Investigation into the involvement of Atta in the attacks; Personality of Atta; Experience of Atta with fundamental Islam; Biographical information. INSETS: Did It All Start in Europe?;Final Instructions.

Presents information on organizations which may demonstrate against globalization at a meeting of world leaders at an economic summit in Genoa, Italy. Efforts of the city to prevent violence and crime during demonstrations; Prediction that activity at the summit may be worse than protests in Goteborg, Sweden, in which hundreds were arrested and dozens injured; View that the radical surge in protesting presents a moral dilemma for mainstream organizations who make up the core of the antigloblization movement.

Reports on efforts and technological innovations to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air which causes global warming. Innovations in car designs like the NECAR4 which is powered by hydrogen; Pumping of CO2 into the ground which has proven an effective way of keeping it out of the atmosphere; Use of the endlessly reusable power from wind and sun.

The article discusses the increasingly multicultural demographics of Europe and the tensions produced by conflicts between some of those cultures. The conflict between traditional western Europeans and fundamentalist Muslims who sympathize with al-Qaida is cited as one example. Recommendations for ameliorating some of the tensions are provided, which include better management of immigration and improving the economic integration of minorities with the larger society.

The article focuses on the aim of Germany to transmit a new image of the nation as it hosts the 2006 World Cup football tournament. The games will be held in a stadium constructed by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games and the country has made no attempt to ignore the fact. Instead, Germany opted to stage an exhibit next to the stadium which documented the history of the building and the 1936 Olympics. The stadium is one of the most powerful works of Nazi architecture.

Focuses on electronic commerce in China. How Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay, is trying to ensure the company's market dominance in e-commerce; The success of Wu Lin in Shanghai who sells clothes on eBay; Popular items sold on eBay China, including ancient jade and dairy cows; Outlook for competition from Alibaba and Yahoo!; Comment of Alibaba-Taobao executive Yun (Jack) Ma about the rivalry between his company and eBay; Information about eBay's international growth; Financial data for Taobao and eBay.

The article discusses various issues that highlight how females of a certain age are seizing stressful moment in their lives to reinvent themselves. Some women become more willing to take risks as they grow less concerned about what others think. Many study findings highlight that the most profound difference in attitude between men and women at middle age is that women are twice as likely to be hopeful about the future.

The article features a successful career woman, Freya Van den Bossche whom at 28 is Belgium's Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and Consumer Affairs. She was the youngest cabinet minister in the country's history with a portfolio that includes food safety and protecting children online. She won her first election in 2000, becoming an alderwoman in Ghent, without the help of legislation.

The article focuses on the case of French actress Marie Trintignant dying after a fight with her rock-star boyfriend Bertrand Cantat. Trintignant's tragedy focused new attention on domestic violence in Europe. It highlights two facts that such violence can occur in any relationship and that statistics only hint at the depths of the problem. Studies show that there are factors and situations that influence the tendency toward violence.

Discusses the loss of manufacturing jobs in Berlin, Germany since German reunification in 1990. Impact of unemployment and welfare provisions on the city; How the city has imposed a hiring freeze; Poverty in Germany; Lack of growth in knowledge-based industries; Cuts for funding of the public school system; Reduction of the numbers of law-enforcement agents.

Focuses on traffic-related problems throughout Europe. Imposition of a traffic-control fee for drivers in London, England and elsewhere; Evolution of traffic congestion in Europe; Scarcity of road space; Emotion attachment of drivers to driving. INSET: OTHER ROADS.

Reports on the increase of homelessness in Western Europe. Public welfare which does not do enough; Comparison between homelessness in the United States and in Europe; Countries that have different legal descriptions of homelessness. INSET: The Mean Streets of London.

Discusses lack of enforcement of smoking law in Europe; Laws that forbid smoking in public places and set up smoking areas in bars, cafés and restaurants that are not enforced; Reasons why the laws are not enforced; Europeans who die from smoking annually; Percentage of European popluations that smoke; European Court of Justice ruling that will force cigarette makers to lower the levels of tar and nicotine in their products and bars the use of words like 'light' and 'mild' on cigarette packs; Law that will ban tobacco companies from sponsoring international spectator sports; Workplace smoking that is getting banned in Great Britain. INSET: A BURNING ISSUE.

Reports on Germany's parliamentary elections in 2002. Popularity gains for Gerhard Schröder as a result of flood disasters and a possible U.S. war against Iraq; Opponent Edmund Stoiber's focus on unemployment issues; How Schröder handled flooding in Germany, including quickly developing a reconstruction plan; Schröder's strong opposition to a war with Iraq; View that Stoiber is a better economic manager.

Focuses on torrential rains that caused deadly floods across Europe. Details of the devastation throughout Central Europe; Question of whether global warming is to blame; Focus on cleaning up and preventing future floods; Economic impact of the drop in tourism; Possibility that Europe's weather may be worsening; Views of experts; Outlook for an increase in extreme weather in Europe.

Discusses the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe. Acts of anti-Semitism in France, Germany, and Russia; Idea that the attacks have risen due to the anger and frustration of Muslims; Belief that Jews are being attacked in acts of revenge on Israel; Sympathy of some European governments to the cause of Palestine.

Examines the global alliance which is being assembled by the United States President George W. Bush administration in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. U.S. diplomatic efforts to form an international coalition; Focus on gaining support from Middle East states; Significance of offers of solidarity; Issue of Russian participation; The opportunities for global cooperation. INSET: Us vs. Them: How Bush's Global Coalition Is Shaping Up.

Focuses on the varied family structures in Europe. Description of families in which the parents are not married; Increase in divorces; Decision of couples to not have children; Efforts of governments to ensure that de facto relationships have some legal recognition; Reasons for the changes in family structure; Example of James Bateman, who is a single father; Description of homosexual couples. INSET: THE PRICE OF PARTNERSHIP, By Jeff Chu.

Focuses on the case of Timothy McVeigh, as an example of the differences between the views on capital punishment of the United States and Europe. Postponement of McVeigh's execution after the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered that it had withheld evidence from his defense lawyers; International criticism of the U.S. death penalty, particularly from Europe; Response of U.S. President George W. Bush; How the McVeigh case is focusing attention on the issue.

Examines the impact of public fears about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on European beef consumption. Why European consumers are eating less beef; Alternative meats which are gaining popularity; Measures taken by the European Union to stop the epidemic; Economic impact of lowered demand for beef; Health factors associated with consumption of different meats; Increase in sales of organic beef and other organic crops; How this could affect national cuisines. INSETS: No Beef? Try Ostrich, by Stacey Vanek Smith;A Tale of Two Restaurants.

Focuses on the trend of interactive toys in the European toy market. Success of the electronic toy market; Effect that interactive toys are having on Europe's toy companies; Prices of the electronic toys; Desire of parents to find toys that both amuse and teach.

Comments on the willingness of tourists to travel out of their way to experience the latest in design and architecture. Popularity of the Frank O. Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Increase in visitors to the Louvre in Paris, France after the opening of a glass pyramid entrance; Other buildings which are attracting tourists.

Comments on the state of eastern Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990. Uneven pace of development; Political success of reunification; Economic struggles of the former East German states; Example of Jena, a city in eastern Germany which was successfully transformed into a flourishing technology center. INSET: FLOWERING LANDSCAPES, by Ursula Sautter.

Profiles United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Details on his childhood in Ghana and his father Henry Reginald Annan; Gathering of heads of state at the UN Millennium Summit in New York City; Annan's vision for international forces and peacekeeping. INSETS: A New Subtlety, by Mark Thompson;Dunning the U.S., by Douglas Waller.

Focuses on the resignation of Helmut Kohl as honorary chairman of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany. Bundestag's investigation of a financial scandal involving the CDU; Suicide of CDU official Wolfgang Hullen; Kohl's refusal to name the sources of unreported campaign contributions; Impact on the party's election prospects. INSETS: The CDU's recovery will need...;A more convincing polish...;... or perhaps a completely new broom..

The article reviews several luxury fashion products, including the Tulita bag from the firm Jimmy Choo, a signature-print downvest from the firm Pucci, and an embossed calfskin jacket from the firm Ferragamo.

Reports on flooding in Eastern and Central Europe. Damage caused by flooding, including in Germany and Austria; Efforts of rescue workers to save a trapped woman and Raphael's 'Sistine Madonna'; Reaction of campaigning German politicians, such as Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin; Effects of industrial farming, deforestation, and the loss of meadows on flooding; Tornadoes and flash floods at tourist settlements near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

Reports on efforts to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock and to protect the food supply. Details of the disease and cases traced to the British infection; Steps taken by the United States Food and Drug Administration to protect U.S. herds and the financial well-being of U.S. farms; What is being done in Europe as of March 2001 to prevent the spread of the disease; Suggestion that the European community views the measures as protectionism. INSET: Panic Is Not on the Menu--Yet, by J.F.O..

Discusses the resignation of former German Chancellor and honorary chairman of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, Helmut Kohl, because of a financial scandal. Suicide of Wolfgang Hullen, the official in charge of finance for the CDU's parliamentary faction; Charges against Kohl for using cash from unreported campaign contributions. INSET: ...and raised a cry for new leadership, by Ursula Sautter.

Focuses on the social conditions of Germany in November 1999, upon the ten-year anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Difficulties of East Germans in the West and West Germans in the East; Opposing attitudes of the two groups; Evidence of the opposition in 1999 Berlin Senate elections; Employment, birthrate and other statistics; Outlook. INSET: Berlin's Vibrant Ethnic Mix.

The article deals with the military alliance that aims to transform Afghanistan. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization will add thousands more troops in its International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) when it takes charge of security in the country's eastern sector. The ISAF will continue to hunt Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders in the wild reaches straddling the border with Pakistan, where the Taliban maintains bases.

The article looks at the popularity and performance of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. Approval ratings for Merkel has been 80% in February 2006, the highest for any German Chancellor since World War II. Merkel heads up a grand coalition with her former adversaries, the Social Democratic Party, and must find consensus on ways to revitalize the economy, repair the health system and boost employment.

Discusses the opposition that British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing because of his support of a war with Iraq. Argument of many Labour Members of Parliament that a war against Saddam Hussein is yet unproven; Majorities across Europe who remain opposed to U.S. President George W. Bush's war plans; Nations that are opposed to their governments, such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy; Role of Spain's Prime Minister José María Aznar; Role of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Discusses the hesitation of European Union leaders to approve of a U.S. strike against Iraq. Opposition to an assault on Iraq by leaders in Great Britain and Germany; Why European leaders want to register their objections to regime change in Iraq early; The feeling that a military attack on Iraq is an expression of American unilaterism; View that the European Union should express alternatives to an attack on Iraq.

Focuses on the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Europe as of December 11, 2000. Contraction of BSE by humans, which causes the fatal variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Effect that BSE has on beef markets throughout Europe; The slaughter of cattle due to the threat of BSE infection; Lack of knowledge about the disease. INSET: The Tragedy of Queniborough, by Helen Gibson.

Reports on the agreement signed in Berlin, Germany that requires the German government and German industry to contribute money to a foundation called Remembrance, Responsibility and the Future. How the money will be divided among surviving slave laborers, who worked in concentration camps and forced laborers who worked in Germany during the Holocaust. INSETS: SHARING THE BURDEN;High Politics and Hidden Treasure, by Anthee Carassava.

Reports that French President Jacques Chirac suggested that some European Union countries should form a 'pioneer group' with the union that could move faster towards political integration. How Chirac became the first foreign leader to address the German Bundestag in the Reichstag building in Berlin; Speculation on relationship between Germany and France.

Profiles Angela Merkel, the front runner to become Germany's next Chancellor. Biographical and career details; Overview of Merkel's political campaign against Gerhard Schröder; Views of political analysts; How her experience in East Germany helped shape her pro-market philosophy; Observation that Merkel maintains a lead that would give her and her coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party, a narrow majority.

Profiles Gerhard Schroder, who was elected chancellor of Germany in 1998. Educational background; Traits of Schroder; Priorities of Schroder as chancellor.

Reports on how attitudes towards refugees in Europe have changed as the often unfounded alarm over the general influx of foreigners rises. Most of Western Europe hardening its heart to asylum seekers; German political parties endorsing tougher lines towards refugees; The Schengen pact among European Union countries allowing freer movement and the concerns it raises; Fate of refugees such as those from the war in Kosovo. INSET: A tale of hope deferred, by Regine Wosnitza.

The article reports that Somalia coast has become a pirates' paradise. Over the past seven months, Somali pirates have attacked 25 vessels, and are becoming more aggressive and skillful. Somalia, which boasts the longest coastline in Africa, is no easy place to monitor. Without an effective central government the country is split among warlords and is in a state of anarchy. Somali pirates often receive huge amounts in ransom, which they invest in modernizing their wares.

Focuses on Angela Merkel, leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which leads Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democratic Party (SDP) by 14 points in the election campaign. Observation that a large number of Germans do not know who they will vote for on Sept. 18, 2005; Mistakes made by Merkel's campaign in the first few weeks of campaigning; Criticism of Merkel's campaign by Michael Spreng, who managed CSU party chairman Edmund Stoiber's failed attempt to topple Schröder.

The article discusses the importance of a healthy diet in controlling obesity in children. Obese children often exhibit bad behavior and learning difficulties. School going children consume food, high in fat and sugar and low in nutrition. Chef Jamie Oliver comments that the meals served in schools in Great Britain is generally poor. Healthy eating should be made a part of children's everyday lives, both at school and at home.

Examines Italy's public debt and its effect on the artistic history of the country. Possible sale of historic artifacts and art treasures in order to slash public debt; Law passed in June 2002, which allows the Economy Minister to authorize the liquidation of some of Italy's cultural patrimony; Development of a plan that would inventory cultural property and divide it into three categories in order to correct this law.

Examines the debt that St. Paul's Church in London faces in 2003. Proposition that its chorus' core group of 60 singers chorus be cut by one-third; Lack of funding for the arts in Great Britain; Challenge of marrying creative freedom with commercial viability.

Examines the lack of patrons within Europe's arts organizations. Fiscal pressures that are causing European governments to rethink and restructure the way they look after their artistic pasts and nurture their present and future; Pressure that government bodies are putting on art bodies to become more self sufficient; Financial pinch the art organizations, such as the opera house, in Berlin are feeling.

Discusses increased employee absenteeism in Europe since 1999; Contributing factors such as family commitments and lack of economic incentives; Evidence that a declining economy and prospects of job loss may increase attendance at work.

Discusses some of the most dangerous and most deadly roads in Europe. Route Départementale 61 in France; France having the most road fatalities in Europe at 8,079 in 2000; View that France needs better enforcement of existing laws to reduce fatalities; Improvements in infrastructure and automobile technology that have helped diminish accident fatalities in most European Union countries; The need for driver education.