The War after the War

Foreign policy: The USA has come up with another provocation. President Bush insists that German and French firms are to be excluded from contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq. The cancellation of debt that German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder just recently discussed for Iraq may be doomed.

"Disaster in the Courtroom"

Justice: The release of the alleged fellow conspirator of the September 11 attacks, Abdelghani Mzoudi, is duping the authorities and provoking an argument with the Americans.

"A Truly Heroic Job"

SPIEGEL in-depth interview with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan about the role of that international organisation in Iraq, the irritation with the superpower USA and its first-strike doctrine, as well as the need for a stronger battle against poverty and Aids:

"We should all be worried about the situation in Iraq. Chaos in this country would not only pose a threat to peace in the surrounding region, but perhaps cast the whole world into a disaster. This is why everyone is called upon to make their contribution towards the stabilisation of Iraq. ... I still maintain that the UN is important for all countries. The USA needs the United Nations, and the United Nations needs the USA as an important member, but not playing a solo role. ... Ultimately the relationship between the USA and the United Nations depends on the particular administration in Washington. The current one has a different relationship with the international organisation to that of earlier US administrations. Tensions have arisen which we need to get rid of. ... All member states, as well as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, for instance, have to make a greater effort to combat extreme poverty and to secure basic standards in health care. For many people in the world, particularly in poor countries, the risk of being threatened by terrorists, attacked with weapons of mass destruction or becoming a victim of genocide, are very relative, compared with the threat of extreme poverty, famine or poor health."

"Boom in Bakscheeshistan"

Eastern Europe: On the eve of joining the European Union, the post-communist states are caught up in a mire of nepotism, bribery and cliqueyness. Political culture has dramatically declined over the 14 years since the political changeover - old and new coteries are hindering the return to Europe. In the negotiations over a new EU constitution they are self-confidently demanding a greater say in the Union, but back at home trouble is brewing. Embarrassingly, just a few weeks ago the European Commission in Brussels was obliged to pillory the future EU members in its "progress report": corruption in the government and within society had, it criticised, in some cases taken on "epidemic proportions". The officials in Brussels are right to be concerned, considering that they transfer up to two billion euros in reconstruction aid to the East every year. But what is lacking most of all is an efficient means of checking those who wield power. Added to which, the executive and judicial bodies are often not clearly separated. The political opposition in the young democracies is weak and often disunited. Corruption, an unalterable evil? In Vilnius, Budapest or Riga, many people are hoping for a quick fix - especially through EU membership, as the high proportion of yes votes in the EU referenda demonstrates.

"They Must Be Crazy"

Travel: Once again, two German tourists have been kidnapped - this time cycling in southern Iran. Politicians from all parties are outraged by their foolishness, and the call for financial consequences is becoming louder. This is the sixth abduction this year, for the third time the victims are tourists who travelled to a dangerous part of the world. As if the Foreign Office and common sense had never told them that one does not go cycling around on the main roads of international drugs trafficking. The German government is nevertheless obliged to help, if only because of its consular laws. In Berlin there is increasing anger at first world adventurers who get their kicks out of high-risk tours - at the expense of the Federal government and taxpayers, if anything goes wrong.

Rehearsals for the Big Row

Student protests: Students all over Germany are waking up. They are speaking of a start, a new beginning or a learning process. The ever-growing protest events over the past weeks have proved them right and encouraged them to believe that resistance can be organised and that they do not have to put up with everything. They no longer want to believe that cuts in social services, the introduction of tuition fees and the closure of institutions are inevitable. Throughout their youth they were given only pragmatic, politically realistic answers to doubting questions. And they scarcely met any teachers or parents who were willing to formulate alternatives. The students want to cancel the dominating principle of profitability: they are taking to the streets, even though they know that this will change very little.

"Coming Home to Zion"

Israel: On the run from Moscow public prosecutors, Russian oligarchs have found shelter in Israel. Now they are making harsh allegations against Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin. Is Israel becoming a refuge for Muscovite magnates? The state was after all founded some half a century ago to be a "safe haven" for all Jews. For years, Moscow's new bosses after the end of the Soviet regime lived in perfect harmony with the Kremlin - with both sides benefiting. But the erstwhile partners have long begun washing their dirty linen in public.

"I Cannot Do Otherwise"

SPIEGEL cover story: The monk Martin Luther, who saved Christendom from the Middle Ages five hundred years ago, is experiencing an unexpected boom in the media as the father of written German and the man who discovered freedom of conscience. But the reformer was not only a golden boy. He set up the unholy alliance between the crown and the altar, and in his old age turned out to be unpleasantly anti-Semitic. The recent Luther boom is certainly astonishing. The Middle Ages in particular, with their countless wars waged in the name of God, are becoming a focus of attention. Parallels to the present times involuntarily come to mind: then as now wars and blood-thirsty terrorism were religiously motivated. The new film about Luther is not truly informative: it accompanies the reformer at a trot only up to the supposed victory of the Reformation at the imperial diet of Augsburg in 1530 AD. Then it fades out, elegantly avoiding the effort of dealing with the darker side of Dr. Martin Luther.

"Help from the Pain Fairy"

Medicine: Children with migraine or cancer receive hardly any help against their pain, because their nervous systems are supposedly not yet fully developed. A doctor from Münster is challenging this stubborn misconception among his colleagues and has opened the first German outpatient pain clinic for children. Pain probably causes even more damage in children than in adults. "It etches itself into the young, malleable nervous system and creates a kind of pain memory," says paediatrician Boris Zernikow. The doctors have received little support from the pharmaceuticals industry. Often the drugs are not even licensed for children. To do so would require carrying out additional trials. "But since too few children are potential users of the drugs, it doesn't usually pay off", Zernikow complains. Consequently the doctors have to assume the legal risk and ignore the licensing regulations. Not all doctors are willing to do that.

"Inhaling Deeper"

Addiction: US researchers have found that female smokers have a higher risk of developing lung cancer - do cigarettes harm women more than men? And is the US finding applicable to German smokers, too? Because a broader examination by epidemiologists of all the studies world-wide on the subject of sex and smoking indicates clear regional differences. Experts speculate that different smoking habits among American women mean that they are indeed more likely to develop bronchial carcinomas. One hypothesis is that perhaps ultra lights - long, thin and hence considered particularly feminine - which are particularly popular in the United States make women there inhale deeper.

"Silly Boxes"

Cars: What is to be done against the total collapse of traffic in inner cities? BMW wants to help car drivers find parking spaces. While Toyota is already offering a comparable system in Japan, the Bavarian parking assistant will not be available for another few years. The company management long had misgivings as to whether the parking aid would actually fit a make that defines itself through dynamism and sportiness.

"Constant Terror"

SPIEGEL interview with Frank Löffler, the ski jumping champion from the Allgäu, about the obligation to starve oneself, his suspension by the German skiing association, and the doubtful example of Sven Hannawald: