ENVIRONMENT: Japan Opposes Moves on Oil Tankers

Maritime measures to prevent spills from oil tankers will be off the agenda at the G8 meeting due in June.

HEALTH-SERBIA: Cancer Link with Stress Suggested

The incidence of cancer has risen three times in Serbia in the past ten years, a new health study shows.

/ARTS WEEKLY/THEATRE: Sri Lanka Looks at War Through Art

Political and military conflict can often be a fertile ground for artistic creativity. Art can serve as an important outlet for those who find themselves caught in the middle of warring factions. It can also be a useful propaganda tool for rival factions.

/ARTS WEEKLY/GERMANY: Hot Secrets of Cold War Revealed

Espionage can hardly be considered an ideal form of contact between peoples. But it was once such a part of everyday life in divided Germany that citizens - east and west - seemed at times to take it almost for granted in the Cold War years.

POLITICS: Europe Grows in Size, Not Strength

The European Union has taken a historic step to branch eastward to touch Russia and Lebanon. That makes it large and populous enough to be a superpower rivalling the United States, but it may still end up as only a paper tiger.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Murder Seen as Blow to Liberals

The assassination of Russian deputy Sergei Yushenkov Thursday is being seen by several leaders as an attack on liberal politics.

POLITICS-SERBIA: Arms Enough for an Army Found

The Serbian government has unearthed more than 35,000 guns and bombs in a massive campaign to sweep away illegal weapons hidden in homes.

/ARTS WEEKLY/MIDEAST: The ‘Intifadah’ Comes to Stage

These days mark the start of one of Israel's s most important trials in years, the court martial of Jonathan Ben Artzi, nephew of former hard-line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He is charged along with nine others with refusing to do his compulsory military service.

POLITICS-HUNGARY: Overwhelming Majority Votes for EU Membership

Though Hungary has been supporting the U.S. on its war in Iraq and recently came under fire from European leaders, the Hungarians confirmed at the weekend that they see themselves very much as part of Europe.

POLITICS-EUROPE: Regional Parliament Approves EU Expansion

The European Parliament approved the eastward expansion of the European Union this week, after resolving a dispute which had threatened the signing ceremony of 10 new candidate countries.

IRAQ-SPAIN: Anti-War Sentiment Weakens Aznar Government

The image of the centre-right government of Prime Minister José María Aznar in Spain continues to weaken due to the administration's support for the U.S.-led war on Iraq, and the ruling Popular Party is expected to lose backing from voters in the centre in next month's municipal elections.

RIGHTS-SLOVAKIA: Gay Groups Seek Legal Protection

Gay rights groups in Slovakia are seeking a new law to protect them after an MP said homosexuality is a "health defect" and that lesbians and homosexuals are not fit for some jobs.

ENVIRONMENT-SERBIA: The Bombs Still Waiting to Explode

As the bombardment of Iraq continues into the third week, Serbs are thinking of the bombs they still live with four years after the blitz on Belgrade.

POLITICS: NATO Aspirants Agree to Combat Terrorism

Seven ex-communist states set to join NATO agreed over the weekend to fight international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction more effectively.

POLITICS: European Commission Looks for More Power

Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, has indicated that he is ready to serve a second term with enhanced powers if leaders of the European Union's 15 member states ask him to continue after 2004.

POLITICS-SERBIA: Murder Probe Brings Success on Drugs

The crackdown on organised crime after the assassination of former prime minister Zoran Djindjic three weeks ago has led to a shortage of drugs and withdrawal symptoms among addicts, health officials say.

ENVIRONMENT: A Top Priority for Europeans

Environmental awareness among citizens of the 15-member European Union is growing, says a new survey.

POLITICS-SERBIA&MONTENEGRO: Arrest Snaps Links with Past

The Serbian police have scored a major success in arresting the prime suspect in the assassination of late prime minister Zoran Djindjic.

POLITICS-SERBIA&MONTENEGRO: New Battle Against an Old Enemy

The Serbian police are conducting a manhunt all over the country in an effort to find the killers of former prime minister Zoran Djindjic who was assassinated last Wednesday.

POLITICS-IRAQ: French Companies Fear Losses

French businesses are beginning to fear they will pay a high price for their government's opposition to U.S. war plans in Iraq.

LAST CALL FOR PEACE-ITALY: Peace Movement Finds Ally in Trade Unions

The Italian movement for peace in Iraq has found an ally in the country's trade union confederations, although it has failed to forge connections with the opposition parties, and seems to have lost the open support of the Roman Catholic Church.