ENVIRONMENT-CLIMATE: Post-2000 Consensus Needed on Global Warming

Crucial talks begin here next week to hammer out a world-wide consensus on reducing the output of 'greenhouse' gases, generally agreed to be the cause of global warming.

DEVELOPMENT: Sub-Saharan Africa a Top Priority in Germany’s Aid

Sub-Saharan Africa takes priority over Asia and Latin America in Germany's aid programmes, says a new report by the official agency for technical cooperation, known as GTZ.

ECONOMY: Russia Seen As Unlikely Investors Paradise

These days Russia has a snowball's chances in hell to be viewed an investors heaven, notably in the aftermath of the recent international money laundering probe.

POPULATION-SPAIN: Unions Press for New Immigration Law

Spain's two largest unions are demanding that the nation's political parties, and particularly the governing centre-right Partido Popular (People's Party), move quickly to pass a law banning discrimination against immigrants.

/UPDATE//CONFLICT-CAUCASUS: Warnings of Nazi-like Russian Methods

As Russian armoured columns moved deeper into Chechnya and air strikes coupled with artillery barrages continued, hopes of a successful military outcome seemed to grow higher in Moscow Wednesday.

CONFLICT-CAUCASUS: Warnings of Nazi-like Russian Methods

As Russian armoured columns moved deeper into Chechnya and air strikes coupled with artillery barrages continued, hopes of a successful military outcome seemed to grow higher in Moscow Wednesday.

POLITICS-SPAIN: Sunny Coast Is Criminal Paradise

Spain's Mediterranean coast, with its sunny beaches stretching from the Rock of Gibraltar to the French border, is a paradise for crime organisations of all stripes, say government officials.

//CORRECTED REPEAT//POLITICS-SPAIN: Sunny Coast Is Criminal Paradise

Spain's Mediterranean coast, with its sunny beaches stretching from the Rock of Gibraltar to the French border, is a paradise for crime organisations of all stripes, say government officials.

/ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/RIGHTS-MUSIC: Global Rockbeat Against Poverty

The world's biggest ever multi-media event is taking place on 9 October. A world-class line-up of musicians will be playing at three live events on stadiums in London, New Jersey and Geneva, which will be broadcast on the Internet, radio and television stations around the world, all in the cause of alleviating extreme poverty.

POLITICS-YUGOSLAVIA: Opposition Vows to Continue Street Protests

The Alliance for Change , a Serbian opposition group, vowed Monday to continue its campaign of street protests against Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, in spite of last week's police crackdown and possible legal action against its leaders.

COMMODITIES-GUYANA: Much Hope Hangs on Increased Gold Prices

Several early English explorers had penetrated deep into Guyana's interior, searching for a city of gold called El Dorado, but it was not until the early 1990s that the country began hinting that the lost city which was dismissed by many locals as a myth could, in fact, be real

RIGHTS-RUSSIA: Getting Old and Poor

Old age is often called life's parody, but these days Russia's pension system looks like a mockery of safe retirement. The country's 38.5 million retired workers have been among the hardest hit by the country's chaotic post-Soviet economic and social regression.

SPAIN: ETA Reloads its Guns

Spain's Interior Ministry warned Thursday of the risk that the Basque separatist organisation ETA could be preparing new attacks, after a year of inactivity.

CONFLICT-CAUCASUS: Russia Employs NATO’s Attrition Tactics

When NATO stepped up its bombing campaign against civilian targets in Yugoslavia earlier this year, Russia described the action as "barbarous," but learned lessons now being applied in Chechnya.

RIGHTS-RUSSIA: Security Sweep Hits Displaced People

While Russian Defence minister Igor Sergeyev said Monday that Chechnya will be bombed "until the very last bandit is liquidated," Moscow security officials continue to carry out massive round-ups against suspected terrorists.

RIGHTS: Conditions for Women Declining in Former Socialist Bloc

The situation is deteriorating today for women in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, where they previously enjoyed a wide range of benefits - especially in health and education - even though full gender equality was never achieved.

POLITICS-KOSOVO: KLA Leader Criticises Role of UN Mission

East Timor has the full attention of United Nations' members these days but that has not stopped Hashim Thaci, leader of the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), from criticising the UN role in Kosovo.

RIGHTS-YUGOSLAVIA: The Remedy that Nearly Killed the Patient

In Kosovo, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) created a worse situation than what it was trying to fix, say a Norwegian general and a German expert in a new book on the war in Yugoslavia.

POLITICS-EUROPE: New EU Commission to Face Tough Challenges

Six months after the forced resignation of all 20 members of the European Union's executive European Commission (EC), the Parliament representing the group's 15 countries is expected this week to back a new team, chosen by President-designate Romano Prodi of Italy.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Horror in Moscow Makes Worst Fears True

The horror pictures of destroyed apartment buildings in Moscow made gloom mongers' most pessimistic scenarios suddenly look increasingly realistic Monday, in the wake of an indiscriminate terrorist campaign.

POLITICS-YUGOSLAVIA: The General Turned Politician

In the midst of growing protests against the government, the Yugoslav opposition scene was unexpectedly reinforced this summer with the figure of Momcilo Perisic, who was the Army chief of staff until November last year.