"We're Meant to Be the Scapegoat"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharrasi about Teheran's assistance for its Shiite brothers in faith in Iraq, Iran's test of power against Bush's America, and the chances of peace in the Middle East:

"We don't necessarily want to transfer our own Islamic model to our neighbouring country. The Iraqis should decide for themselves which path is right for them. ... Unlike Iraq under Saddam, we are not a dictatorship but a democracy. In addition we don't flout international laws. So we aren't worried about becoming the next victim of a military strike. ... The Israelis stand on one side with the entire power of America behind them, while the poor Palestinians stand on the other. And the European Union, which is trying to mediate, hasn't the slightest influence over Israel."

"Pressure on the Boiler"

Car industry: The discount battles seen in the sale of new cars in America are now reaching Europe: large companies are trying to boost their declining sales figures with the help of price reductions, petrol coupons and interest-free loans. Added to this, new competition threatens. The background to such campaigns is that manufacturers in Europe have a huge surplus production capacity. Exports to the USA are stagnating as are those to Asia; and sales figures in Germany have been dropping for the past three years.

"I Fear for America's Soul"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with US psychiatrist and researcher into violence Robert Jay Lifton about the state of mind of Americans, the superpower syndrome and President Bush's apocalyptic battle:

"Many Americans - both politicians and ordinary people - are caught up in what I call the superpower syndrome. ... At the heart of the syndrome is the eternal struggle for absolute security. ... Our government inevitably has to fail in this, because there is no such thing as invulnerability. ... Apocalyptic force describes the willingness to bring about enormous destruction in the service of spiritual cleansing. ... You can only kill large numbers of people if you do so in the name of absolute righteousness. ... With Bin Laden that's quite clear. But with the Bush administration the apocalyptic tendencies are less obvious. Our leaders present themselves as being rational and concerned about democracy in the world. But in their actions one can discern an apocalyptic concept."

"The Battle for Guaribas"

Brazil: Brazilian president "Lula" da Silva is pursuing an ambitious goal with his anti-hunger campaign "Fome Zero": to get rid of harsh poverty not just in Brazil but all over the world. Now his programme is being tested in a little town in the barren state of Piauí. Some 53 million people live below the poverty line, nearly one third of Brazil's population.

"They Were Only Brief Salvos"

War crimes: Sixty years ago German mountain troops shot some 5000 Italian soldiers on the island of Kephallenia. The Dortmund public prosecutor is now reopening the case, and witnesses are describing the gruesome details of the unprecedented bloodshed. Will the massacre be atoned for at last? For Italian patriots the bloody event marked the start of the "Resistenza" against fascism and the Nazi occupiers. Kephallenia is also synonymous with the attempt to transfigure Hitler's Wehrmacht into honourable troops - an attempt that has been successful for so long. Simon Wiesenthal did some research and "little by little" it dawned on him why no one in Germany was investigating the matter. Neither the SS nor the Gestapo were involved in the Kephallenia massacre - "this crime" said Wiesenthal, "was committed by the Wehrmacht, and influential powers in Germany were eager to keep the Wehrmacht out of any war crimes lawsuits."

"Venturing into the Desert World"

SPIEGEL cover story: An armada of space probes is setting out for Mars. In the largest reconnaissance programme since the lunar landing missions, Europeans and Americans are engaging in an exciting research race: who will be the first to find life on another planet?

"Excesses of the Body Craze"

Art: Seldom has a period been so obsessed with outward appearances as the silicone generation. But while advertising, cosmetic surgery and the fitness industry are celebrating the perfect body as their ideal, many artists and lifestyle aesthetes are fascinated by the glamour of the flaw. The days when painters presented their muses, and men's magazines their playmates, in all their natural glory are over for good. Today, bodies only impress people if they have been obviously manipulated. Under the motto "Bellissima", artists are simulating the "manufacturing of beauty", warning against "repercussions for real bodies" - and asking their audiences whether the "quest for beauty is leading us dangerously astray". So it would seem, because many particularly body-conscious people are already weary of their own flawlessness. Why else would they tattoo, perform surgery on, pierce and torture their bodies no sooner than they have nursed them to perfection? Half of humanity would appear to be unhappy with itself. At the same time, in few other periods have people been so obsessed with their bodies as they are today - but only when it comes to their own perfection. Contact with others is largely ruled out in the post-humanist world.

"Massage in the Cow Shed"

Biotechnology: In Japan the finest cattle are sprayed with spirits and fed on beer. Now researchers want to clone them. Ideally, the government in Tokyo hopes to declare cloned beef safe for human consumption before the end of the year. But is cloned food really harmless?

"The Attack of the Carrion Crows"

Wildlife: More and more crows are being drawn to the city centres. Increasingly, reports are coming in of attacks against people.

"In the Kingdom of Means"

Soccer: Over a hundred foreigners play in the Chinese professional league. Many of them were unable to find a club in Europe. The fees are tempting, but the way of life takes getting used to.