Egyptians look to God, not government, for help
Cairo is often described as the center of the Arab world. But it is also a collection of villages, a ruralized metropolis where people live by their wits and devices, cut off from the authorities, the law and often each other.

Attack on U.S. base puts spotlight on threat in Afghanistan
While American officials doubt the suicide bomber knew of the vice president's presence, the assault points to a regrouping of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Suspected al-Qaida operative competent to stand trial
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla is competent to stand trial on terrorism support charges, rejecting arguments that he was severely damaged by 3 1/2 years of interrogation and isolation in a military brig.
- Prison officials detail terror suspect's secret confinement

Israelis kill 3 members of Islamic Jihad
Undercover forces shot and killed three militants in the West Bank town of Jenin on Wednesday, and a large contingent of Israeli soldiers re-entered the nearby city of Nablus just a day after withdrawing.

U.S. to refuse Italian request for extradition of CIA agents
The spies were indicted in the alleged abduction of an Egyptian cleric in Milan, a case investigated by the European Parliament.

Britain plans to withdraw its 600 troops from Bosnia
Britain will withdraw its forces from Bosnia as part of a European Union-agreed drawdown of peacekeeping forces, a government official confirmed Wednesday.

Prodi wins crucial confidence vote in Senate
Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy won a confidence vote in the Senate on Wednesday, ensuring the survival of his center-left government.

Cheney denies he "went in to beat up on" Musharraf
The vice president was trying to correct widespread perceptions about his meeting with the Pakistani president regarding Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Sarkozy outlines foreign policy
He also called the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq a "historic mistake" and thanked President Jacques Chirac for his "lucidity" in keeping France out of it.

The choice is simple — let them live
HPV immunization could radically alter the cervical cancer risk equation for hundreds of millions of women.

Meanwhile: Death! Read all about it!
Will people pay just to read obituaries?

Ozone man sequel? Only the Goracle knows
With Hillary overproduced and Barack Obama an unfinished script, maybe it's time to bring the former vice president out of turnaround.

Films with black stars look to cross the international 'color line'
Only recently have movies begun to crack one of Hollywood's most troubling and least openly discussed problems: an international "color line" behind which films relying on black stars often do not perform well. The box office prowess of "Dreamgirls" overseas will help signal whether this newfound success is fleeting or more lasting.

Bruce Davidson's 'encounters with the invisible'
Davidson, who is showing a series of photographs from the 1960s at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris, is often called a documentary photographer. But he doesn't consider himself as such: "Documentary photographer suggests you just stand back, that you're not in the picture, you're just recording. I am in the picture, believe me. I am in the picture but I am not the picture," he said.

Theater: Chicago's vibrant, and quirky, theater scene
The easy flow of audiences and artists between Chicago's large, established theaters and its scrappy up-and-comers has been instrumental in maintaining the city's stature as the most vibrant dramatic capital in the United States after New York.

Book Review: Commander in Chief
In his tendentious new book, Geoffrey Perret draws parallels between Presidents Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush, but takes a decidedly unflattering view of both men.