Further doubt about the legitimacy of Mrs Arroyo's rule was created by allegations that she won the presidential election three years later by cheating.

ECONOMIST: For once, a former president gets his comeuppance

And Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, has something like 8 billion barrels remaining, but it was damaged by overproduction in the latter years of Saddam's rule and won't likely regain its peak of 700, 000 bpd.

FORBES: Reserves

Both the centre-left Labour party and the centre-right VVD party won a sufficient number of votes between themselves to rule with a majority in the lower houses of parliament.

BBC: Netherlands election analysis: Dutch show faith in Europe

The official called Milosevic's arrest a good example of Yugoslavia "standing up for the rule of law, " but said the United States won't hold a donor's conference to further assist the Yugoslav economy until Belgrade takes certain concrete steps to further illustrate its commitment to justice.

CNN: Powell to meet Yugoslav leader

Pena Nieto has made other changes that haven't drawn the fanfare, but have potentially far-reaching consequences for the power of the president, a once-imperial role during PRI rule that was weakened after the National Action Party won the presidency 12 years ago and ushered in a more democratic Mexico.

NPR: Mexico's President Gathers Power, Pushes Reform

At a time when even the Scots and Welsh in Britain have won themselves self-rule of a sort, Corsican nationalists resent their relative impotence.

ECONOMIST: Corsica: Indignant | The

If his victory is confirmed, it will be the eighth time Mr Chavez has won public approval of his rule and his policies, after two presidential elections and six referendums.

BBC: NEWS | Americas | Chavez claims referendum victory

It was a surprise when Mr Harper won the last election in January 2006, ending a dozen years of Liberal rule.

ECONOMIST: Why Stephen Harper does not deserve to be dumped

But since Vicente Fox won a presidential election in 2000, ending seven decades of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, Mexican governments have attempted to put a long history of corruption behind them.

ECONOMIST: Mexico

Because of that perceived setback, Simpson's defense attorneys won't rule out the possibility that the former football star might take the stand after all.

CNN: Attorneys reconsider putting Simpson on stand

For a time he had a strong populist image, seen as a champion of the rule of law, praised as the only judge in history to have stood up to a military ruler and won.

BBC: Pakistan political crisis: Key players

Mr Hague has won the much-needed praise of Lady Thatcher, but she would still prefer him to rule Britain out of the euro forever.

ECONOMIST: Roll up that map of Europe