The adoption of an interim Iraqi constitution by the Iraqi Governing Council has been reached.

According to the BBC, "The draft charter will recognise Islam as one source of legislation rather than the only source, and gives autonomy to the Kurdish minority for now." It will also include an "unprecedented" bill of rights and see to it that 25% of the assembled government is comprised of women.

Despite the agreement having been reached after press time, Nicholas Blanford's piece for today's print issue still reverberates. He writes, "Some argue that the heated debate, taking place under intense pressure from US administrator Paul Bremer, is nothing more than the birth pains of a fledgling democracy. Others suggest that it is emblematic of the council's sectarian composition and represents an ominous portent of the future clash between religion and secularism in Iraq."

So just what are the common—or disparate—features among the various constitutions that nations promise to obey? How did they get there? Would you know a constitution if you saw one?

Dr. Axel Tschentscher, from the University of Bern in Switzerland, has provided access to a number of international country constitutions along with a primer on the elements of the different constitutional forms. For a look at the now-obsolete 1990 Iraq constitution see Tschentscher's Iraq page.

You can also see constitutional background on countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Russia, China, and the United States. (by Alan Messmer)

Much has been made in recent months of the increase in the number of Americans that are overweight, a problem that begins in childhood due to caloric intake and lack of exercise. Studies reflect that obesity, beginning in childhood, is occuring in a number of other countries for similar reasons with some cultural exceptions - the subject of a Monitor article today. The World Health Organization's recommendations are being met with opposition, from developing countries who produce commodities such as sugar, to the US Department of Health and Human Services For further information on commonalities and differences among dietary guidelines in other countries, consult this page at the Asian Food Information Centre.

Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran, the subject of a Monitor story .

A chart at the end of the article makes some comparisons between 1979 and 2004. There are curtailments on political actiivities and women's freedoms, though it does mention that literacy has improved. A page from Professor Thayer Watkins at San Jose State University also has an overview of Iran's recent history, and its economy, as well as another good then-and-now comparison, reflecting mixed success.

Iran's economy is still not very diverse; relying heavily on natural resources and primarily oil for export. A page at the Energy Information Administration's Department of Energy provides background on Iran's main commodity as well as other recent economic and energy-related facts about the country. (By Leigh Montgomery)

A Monitor article this week describes a shelter in Japan for female victims of domestic violence. According to a survey conducted in 2000, 27.5 percent of women reported their husbands had beaten them.

To put this into context, how does this compare with other countries? A United Nations survey in 10 countries found that 17 to 38 percent of women had been assaulted by a partner. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 million women and 834,000 men in the US are victims. But according to the US Department of Justice, those numbers have decreased in recent years. The Family Violence Prevention Fund offers yet another measurement, claiming that 3 million women a year are affected. It is important to note how statistics are summarized; some claim that they are number of incidents, some claim the number of women affected. By any measure, domestic violence continues to be a global problem.

Reports of the fallout from the claims of the Bush and Blair administrations are now prolific. One of the most useful items available online is a publication by a group called BASIC, the British American Security Information Council. Referring to a comment by Donald Rumsfeld in a June 2002 press conference, their analysis of the events is called "Unravelling the Known Unknowns: Why no Weapons of Mass Destruction have been found in Iraq."

BASIC's final assessment? "The conclusion is inescapable: there is nothing to be found." They go further by adding that it appears the "UN weapons inspectors succeeded in their mandate, and that the Iraqi government complied with its obligations." In fact, they provide a link to a database of UNMOVIC inspections compiled by UK-based VERTIC (Verification Research, Training and Information Centre). VERTIC's mission "is to promote effective and efficient verification as a means of ensuring confidence in the implementation of international agreements and intra-national agreements with international involvement."