It was the Church of England's decision to ordain women more than a decade ago that has meant that as Dr Williams put it, Catholic-Anglican unity has "hit the buffers a bit".

BBC: NEWS | UK | A misunderstanding on women priests?

Mr Bouchard is expected to call a vote next spring, and Daniel Johnson, the uninspiring leader of the Quebec Liberals, has made it clear to his federalist allies elsewhere that he will need a unity package to offer, if he is to have any hope of success.

ECONOMIST: Canada—well, most of it—tries again | The

Its flexibility has led it to become a common language for different communities, promoting communication, unity and creativity.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

If the British machine is sceptical about Euro-dreams of bestriding a multipolar world, that is because it has a jump-seat view of American might and of the money and unity of purpose required to make it work.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

If there is a theme in all that has been said today by the leaders, it would be the imperative of unity, solidarity, in realizing that opportunity.

WHITEHOUSE: U.N. Secretary General's Luncheon

But the divisions between Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's first leader, Abdurrahman Wahid, leader of a large rural Muslim group and a champion of secular Islam, and Amien Rais, who is popular among urban Muslims and has recently been preaching a secular message of national unity, have long prevented them from pulling it off.

ECONOMIST: Indonesia’s opposition revs up | The