A baboon at the embassy and seals in his pool are just part of the job for the Director of Riyadh’s growing young zoo. With strong city backing, the zoo inspires local affection as it aspires to international acclaim

Dressing his sister's dolls, working all night with Karachi craftsmen, and showing his haute couture designs at the Palais de Chaillot were all stages in Adnan Akbar's career. Now he's setting his sights on the United States.

After more than five years of work, a chain of government approvals and a million dollars in donations, there's now a peaceful spot in Washington where visitors can recall Kahlil Gibran and his philosphy of brotherhood.

Across mountains, deserts and savannahs, five French cyclists pedaled from Paris to Senegal for the sake of the peaceful sport they loved and the warm friendships they found along the 4000-mile journey.

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan unites Muslims everywhere. But in countries where they are a tiny minority, the ritual deprivation can be harder - and only one of the difficulties Muslims face.

Seattle's grey skies forced Yasser Seirawan to switch from surfing to chess when he was 12. Now, at 30, he has three US titles under his belt, and hopes to become the first American world champion since Bobby Fischer.