But what if Moses never existed? Under scrutiny in the light of the latest historical discoveries, the holy writings appear to contain a number of significant inconsistencies.

The secret gospel, the "hundred words of Jesus" discovered en 1945 at Nag Hammadi inside a corpus of thirteen gnostic texts, hit the headlines before being dismissed as heretical by the Church. Why does the Vatican still impose its omertà today?

On October 1st, 1949, Mao announced the birth of the People's Republic of China. From totalitarianism to the burgeoning market economy: an overview of the changing political situation after 50 years of communism.

Amidst the maze of ceasefires, renewed hostilities, peace initiatives and UN resolutions, an analysis of the origins of - and recent developments in - the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Always a hotbed of internecine strife, the Balkans have long been the grain of sand of in the wheel of European harmony. This dossier focuses on the political postures adopted by other European countries during the civil wars in the region.

The story of a carefully programmed hegemony: the closest collaborators of previous US presidents offer a behind-the-scenes look at America's international influence, from the early days of the Cold War to the involvement of US troops in the Gulf conflict.

"This is a clean, surgical war," trumpeted the generals in front of the CNN cameras, when the loss of life was reckoned only on the Iraqi side. Ten years later, the veterans of the alliance are still languishing in hospitals, victims of an unknown illness. A medical commission reveals the origins of the disease that cannot speak its name.

From its first steps with the OEEC in 1948 to the recent monetary union: a look back over the milestones in the construction of Europe.

By incorporating the genes from a spider into a ewe's egg, scientists can obtain a lamb that yields high-resistance wool. Genetic engineering raises controversial ethical questions over just how far the work of these "sorcerer's apprentices" can go.

Behind the scenes of the Pathfinder mission, the log of the explorer module "Rocky": documents, photos and initial scientific conclusions.

The Statue of Liberty half submerged, cases of killer sunburn... that, according to all the scientific forecasts, is what lies in store for us all in the none-too-distant future unless the nations of the world rapidly resolve the issues of pollution and global warming.

The 21st century will be an age of communication and technological advances. But what promises and challenges does the Internet hold for the future?

Defeated, dispossessed of their land, deported, the proud people of the plains were no more than a shadow of their former selves. Today, however, renewed awareness of the Amerindian heritage is breathing fresh life into their culture and history. As tradition comes to terms with modernity, an anthropologist tells the story of a people sacrificed on the altar of land productivity.

Changing our lifestyles, following low-calory diets, swallowing piles of vitamins and minerals, even using hormone pills... what might the consequences be of this artificial rejuvenation?

A recent French study claimed that one person in three suffers from insomnia. What are the physiological and psychological causes that lie behind this condition? And how do you avoid over-reliance on sedatives?

Is it a devilish creature slain long ago by St Columbus, or a plesiosaurus that survived the Jurassic era? Now a must-see stopover for tourists (who often claim to catch a glimpse of its elusive occupant) Loch Ness has kept its mystery intact.

Whether it's Sasquatch, Alma, Bigfoot, Mi-teh or the Yeti, the wild creatures that bear these names in every corner of the globe all seem to be one and the same animal. Primitive legends once brushed aside by the scientific community are now taking on a new significance, thanks to solid evidence such as the video footage from Bluff Creek in North Carolina. Amidst indigenous folklore and theories about surviving gigantopithecus, science seems at last to be following the right tracks.

A creature of the dark, half-man, half-wolf, that devours women and children and can only be killed by a silver bullet - the werewolf has haunted the collective imagination for centuries. Historians and scientists examine the scare-stories of ages past in order to explain the terror inspired by the monster.

From Dracula's coffin, found (empty) at the start of the 20th century to the victims of killings in Latin America, emptied of the last drop of blood, the scientific community is taking a closer look at the myth - or perhaps the reality - of the vampire.

From straightforward extorsion to collective suicide: a probing investigation into these secret societies.

Vincent, 27, with a postgraduate degree in economics, has to do casual jobs to survive. When the race for qualifications comes up against the realities of the job market, where does it leave our young people?

Reality TV originated in Scandinavia, became popular in the US, and is now sweeping Europe like wildfire. Our report asks what lies behind this media phenomenon: does it tell us more about ourselves than want - or ought - to know?

From insults to knifings, street violence is inexorably creeping into the classroom. These hard-hitting interviews underline just how helpless our society has become to resist this trend.

After the Internet bubble, and the sudden slowdown that followed, this report asks how the start-ups and their young CEOs are holding on against a background of "stock-market corrections".

The growing number of executions in the United States has revived the debate on the death penalty. This film includes the moving testimony of a condemened man waiting to die at Huntsville penitentiary in Texas.

The explosion in the divorce rate has shattered the traditional model of the family, engendering new family groupings. What new values do they represent? How do these non-conventional families structure themselves?

Beatrice met Julien on an Internet forum, Laure "chats" with Louis every evening… Is the web the future of flirting? Insider tips on the art of virtual seduction.

A Mesopotamian city standing by the central section of the Euphrates river, Babylon still offers a host of archaeological sites, most famously the foundations of the Hanging Gardens.

Our journey takes us to the Pyramids of Gizeh, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The island of Madagascar boasts more than 50 wildlife parks and nature reserves. A guided tour of some exceptional sites: the volcanic sierra of Tsaratanana, Amber Mountain Park in the north of the country, the tropical forest around Ranomafana and the red sandstone hills of the Isalo National Park.

A hike around the islands of Mayotte, Moheli, Anjouan and Great Comoro.

Thailand offers the traveler a chance to get to know its different hill peoples in their natural surroundings, especially in Chiang Rai province and the Golden Triangle, while the cities of Sukhotai, Si Satchanalai and Lopburi reveal some of the Thai nation's rich heritage.

Relive the Middle Ages in Cathar towns and citadels from Perpignan to Toulouse.

Discover the Medici and Borghese Villas, the Quirinal and Farnese Palaces, the Basilicas of St John of Latran and St Peter and the Vatican, on the right bank of the Tiber, as well as the great classics: the Coliseum, the Capitol, the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon.

The 3rd largest US city, San Francisco enjoys a picturesque setting, with the Golden Gate bridge at the mouth of the bay and its districts climbing up the surrounding hills, but the town is above all noted for its avant-garde cultural stance. San Francisco's diversity, tolerance and openness to the outside world make it unique among America's cities.

The mysteries of Teotihuacán, Palenque, and El Tajin, the pyramid of Los Nichos, the valley of Oaxaca: a guided tour of the most beautiful monuments of the Mayan and Aztec civilisations.

After recent cases of bribed referees, and the investigation into the Chairman of France's National Sports Committee, this report probes the financial dealings that take place off the field, from transfer fees to the earnings of star players.

An athlete breaks the taboo and speaks out, describing how doping turned his life into a living hell.

The quest for the adrenalin rush: what lies behind the recent craze for flysurfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding and other high-sensation activities? A sociological approach to the emergence of "extreme sports".

After making a recent comeback, inline skating is now an accepted way to get around the city, on a par with cycling and public transport.

The renaissance painter, sketcher and engraver Botticelli is renowned for such works as La Primavera, the Birth of Venus and the Calumny of Apelles. His perfect mastery of the line sets his work apart from the mainstream of his contemporaries.

A tour of the renaissance buildings of the Loire valley, near Blois, Tours, Anjou and the Berry region, that exemplify the Italian influence and the rediscovery of Antiquity.

Cézanne reacted against impressionnism by rethinking the way we represent space. His approach - utterly original for the start of the 20th century - makes him a precursor of the early Cubist movement of 1907-1909.

Romanesque art, which evolved in Europe between the 10th and 12th centuries, is so named for its adoption of Roman motifs and techniques. As an aristocratic and intellectual discipline, it aspired to express the divine through architecture, sculpture and painting.

The 1910s was the heyday of the silent movies. This retrospective covers the greatest creations of the pre-war years, from "Birth of a Nation" to the comedies of Charlie Chaplin.

From the pioneering French weekly "Pilote" to the latest sci-fi mags, story-board writers and illustrators tell the story of the "9th art".

More than just a new means of communication, multimedia is also a new means of expression - a limitless playing-field for an upcoming generation of creative artists. How have artists managed to tame this anarchic outlet for their talents? Are we looking at the birth of a whole new artistic movement?