By DOUG SAUNDERS, Toronto Globe and Mail

They are, depending on your perspective, either the Venus and Serena Williams or the Cain and Abel of British politics.

A week ago it was still possible to refer to Nick Clegg as a fringe candidate, the nerdy leader of a third-place British party who could walk down city streets without being recognized.

In the fertile lands south of the Sahara, the huge green apparitions have become an increasingly familiar sight.

A stumbling, debt-ravaged economy, a scandal-shocked and disillusioned electorate and three candidates who have never run for prime minister before. With all this, Britain is facing one of the most chaotic and unpredictable elections in its history.

KIEV, Ukraine - It was the handshake that sealed the end of a revolution.

As 200 officials from Europe and Canada gathered in an Ottawa meeting room Monday to begin the most comprehensive trade talks in recent history, there is great fear on both sides that the whole thing could become bogged down over the price of butter.

A child seemed a welcome addition to the life of Jutta Hoffritz, who had expected her pregnancy to lead to a predictable chain of events: For a year, she would stay home and care for her baby. Then she would place him in a decent child-care center and return to work -- difficult, but surely not beyond reach.

An effort by ministers from the United States, Canada and other members of the 42-nation coalition fighting in Afghanistan to put an optimistic face on the war's progress came close to collapse this week when Afghan President Hamid Karzai was publicly accused of supporting a law that dramatically limits the rights of women.

Five months ago, Pankaj Dinodia was on top of the Wall Street boom. At age 25, the Indian immigrant had made it through one of the top U.S. business schools and held an important investment banking position with Goldman Sachs.