"I've Already Survived Milosevic"

SPIEGEL interview with President Vojislav Kostunica about his open power struggle with the Serb prime minister, rumours of a coup, and the sluggish cooperation with the Hague War Crimes Tribunal:

"Djindjic is trying to kick out the DSS with the aid of the other parties. ... Now the Serb parliament has committed election fraud, and I do see certain similarities between Milosevic and the Serb prime minister. But I've survived Tito and his successor Milosevic politically, and I'll leave those breaching the law today behind me too. ... How should I carry out a coup, and why doesn't [General Chief of Staff Nebojsh Pavkivic] bring this to public attention until a year later? These allegations of a coup are being put forward all the time by some DOS leader or other. ... I backed the law on cooperation with the war crimes tribunal at a time when others were strictly opposed to it. But that doesn't meant that I can't take a critical view of this court as a jurist and politician. ... The Milosevic's trial raises certain legal doubts and reminds me more of a historical discussion than of legal proceedings."

"Education for an Elite"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with Russian minister of education Vladimir Filippov about reforming schools and universities in his country, corrupt professors and the American example:

"In the days of the Soviet Union we had an education that was very strong in mathematics and the natural sciences, at the expense of the arts and humanities. In addition, neither social studies nor economics were taught at schools. We want to change this and also put a greater emphasis on sports and on healthy living. ... I think [the influence of corruption in connection with entrance exams] is very considerable at the moment. The problem is not so much preparing for the exams with the help of paid crammers - that will continue in future too. But often the coach is at the same time on the university's board of examiners and can therefore decide on the admission of the applicants who have paid him. ... [The American educational model of grading by performance] is probably the model for the future. If we are working under the conditions of a market economy, then we must provide a university education both for the elite and for the masses."

"An Agile Infotainer"

Contemporary history: Sebastian Haffner, superstar - publishers are flooding the market with books by and about him. His admirers consider him a serious contemporary witness and political thinker. In fact, he often changed his mind about important issues - arousing the interest of the secret services. Sometimes he was for, sometimes against, a united Germany; sometimes ardently opposed to communism, sometimes transfiguring the East German state; sometimes he expressed admiration for the Prussians, sometimes he condemned them. These vacillations were one of the reasons why he preferred not to see his old writings republished during his lifetime. Haffner was registered by the East German Stasi's department for "Disinformation", a branch of the overseas espionage office led by Markus Wolf. However, this says nothing about whether he was a victim or perpetrator. The KGB also showed an interest in Haffner. In 1973 Haffner published what was probably the most shameful article of his career in the German magazine "Stern": "Right of Way for Peace". At the time, the Nobel Prize Committee was considering awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the civil rights campaigner Andrey Sakharov, who was under considerable pressure from the KGB. Haffner, of all people, himself once an emigrant, declared this to be "malicious nonsense". When Sakharov was eventually awarded the prize two years later, the KGB wanted to discredit the award. Haffner was to be persuaded to comment on the matter once again.

"Doing Things in a Big Way"

How the lawyers Michael Witti and Ed Fagan gather clients for million-dollar lawsuits. Witti and Fagan, the closely coordinated team for cases of disaster, have a good feeling for when the time is ripe to recruit clients for million-dollar lawsuits. Since Witti and Fagan accompanied the agreement for compensation payments to slave labourers with aggressive public relations work - a commitment for which they received 17 million marks - they have been fostering their reputation as experts for victims of all kinds.

"War against Terrorism"

On the failed deportation of Islamic extremists from Germany.

"Only Trivial Stuff"

SPIEGEL interview with the lead guitarist of Oasis, Noel Gallagher, on the creative crisis of famous colleagues and his proletarian background:

"The problem that Oasis has had with the rest of the world for years now is the exaggerated sense of expectation. ... I think every songwriter only has a limited reservoir of excellent songs. ... Until eight years ago, I was unemployed and constantly broke. You don't forget that so quickly. ... The only problem will be trying to explain to my daughter Anaïs one day what background she comes from."

"Playing away the Pain"

Architecture: His Jewish Museum in Berlin made Daniel Libeskind a star of tragic architecture. Now the American is parodying himself in a droll war museum. Of all people, it is the inventor and star of a distinctive style of architecture focusing on tragedy and its victims who is to give war an imposing face - returning into the limelight with a museum whose operators are treating the martial aspects of the 20th century in rather a playful manner. Architecture and exhibition dramaturgy are combined almost symbiotically, but the result is still no more than an ambitious war disco. The Libeskind building prototypically reflects a future in which the museum views itself only as a classy adventure park and infotainment centre.

"The Citizens of the World"

Protest: They are anarchists and scientists, economists and environmental freaks. They are based in Washington and New Delhi, in Bangkok and Paris. The ringleaders of the anti-globalisation campaign think and act just as globally as the world economy they are fighting against.

"The Trojan Boxes"

Logistics: The world's most up-to-date container terminal is taking up operation in the port of Hamburg - a new node in a network that is fundamentally changing global trade. Fresh meat, car parts and porcelain pooches will travel around the world guided by computers - much like packets of data on the Internet.

"The Dance of the Variables"

Mathematics: A Rumanian researcher has solved a centuries old problem. "Rhythm and melodies" helped Preda Mihailescu to prove "Catalan's conjecture". Preda Mihailescu has managed something that most mathematicians spend their lives dreaming of. The scientist from the German University of Paderborn has succeeded in proving a 158-year-old mathematical problem. xp - yq = 1 - Mihailescu devoted two years of his life to this equation.

"Electronic Bouncers"

Computers: Digital monitoring systems are supposed to make the world a safer place by identifying people via their faces - two companies based in Bochum are competing for this future market. Until now, faces have been scrutinised by police officers, border guards and doormen, now computers are to do so - quickly, inexpensively and, most of all, reliably. The necessary technology is provided by biometrics, the science of measuring the human body, which has met with newly-kindled interest among security experts and politicians. In recent years, the University of Bochum has become a centre of biometry. Two successful companies are based on its campus, C-Vis and the much larger public limited company ZN Vision.