Divided by 20 miles of water, France and England are old friends, neighbours and rivals. Andrew Stallybrass explores their relationship.

An unexpected chance to study in Russia led to Michael Bourdeaux becoming an authority on the Church under communism. Mike Lowe meets the man who founded the Keston Institute.

Chris Landsberg teaches South African and African Foreign Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and is Hamburg Visiting Fellow at the Centre for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University, USA

This year is the 25th anniversary of the beginning of Lebanon's civil war, and the tenth anniversary of its end. Until now Beirut has had no public memorial for the victims of that war. The competition is organized by a Lebanese company entrusted with the reconstruction and development of the historic core of the city.

An English primary school teacher makes a plea that young children should not be crushed in an academic straightjacket. The writer has asked to remain anonymous.

Michael Smith reports on India's information technology revolution which has turned the nation into a 'software superpower':