Spain cooling on immigrants
A murder highlights what some call a backlash against immigration in previously open Spain.

Russian-U.S. ties hit new low
The two countries are competing for influence in Europe and access to natural resources.
- NATO commander reassures Russia about anti-missile system

Turkish court sentences militants for 2003 bombings
Seven suspected Qaeda militants were sentenced to life in prison for bombings that killed 58 people in Istanbul.
- Turkish aide foresees revisions to Article 301

Piëch of Volkswagen strides toward creating a behemoth.
Critics say Ferdinand Piëch risks running roughshod over corporate governance.

U.S. denies intent to attack Iran
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that the United States has no intention of attacking Iran and that any U.S. military efforts against it would be confined to Iraq to disrupt the smuggling of bomb-making materials over the border.
- Bush declares Iran's arms role in Iraq is certain

Use of medicines questioned for children with bipolar disorder
The death of 4-year-old who had been prescribed powerful medication for bipolar disorder has provoked debate among psychiatrists over both diagnosis and treatment.

Questions arise over recordings by pianist Joyce Hatto
Her posthumous reputation for excellence and originality has suddenly been shaken by a charge of plagiarism.

Immigrants open a new path to Europe
While some Asians long have sought to get into Europe by land routes, now they are favoring the much longer and more dangerous route from West Africa, by the sea.

BBVA agrees to a major U.S. bank purchase
The acquisition of Compass Bancshares, at $9.6 billion, underlines the strength of the Spanish banking industry.

Bolster the Afghan National Army
The war against the Taliban is winnable if NATO reconsiders its current military strategy and grooms the Afghan National Army to take over the fight.

Resolve India-Pakistan tensions
Unless a way to mitigate the underlying Pakistan-India tension in Afghanistan is found, the country will continue to be a proxy battleground in their largely unspoken war.

Guinea's democrats wait for support
As Western leaders sit on their hands, Guinea's authoritarian president is going in for the kill.

At Contemporary Art sales, a mood to buy regardless of quality
A new phenomenon was observed at Contemporary Art sales in London last week. Records were set for works by Peter Doig, Frank Auerbach, Gerhard Richter, Piero Manzoni, Alberto Burri and Francis Bacon while works by Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly and Roy Lichtenstein also fetched high prices.

When private collectors go public
In recent years, a growing number of private collectors have been opening all manner of exhibition sites to show off their holdings and assert their aesthetic views, often subsidized by enviable tax benefits.

Breach: The banal life of a double agent, another drone in a suit
One of the strengths of "Breach," a thriller by Billy Ray and starring Chris Cooper, is how well it captures the utter banality of the double agent Robert Philip Hanssen and of his world.