COVER

Why They're Heroes (Special Issue / European Heroes 2005)

Thirty-seven men and women who have embraced challenges and made a difference

To Our Readers (Special Issue / European Heroes 2005)

Doing the right thing

EUROPE

Continental Divide

The opposition of some Europeans is helping Turkish nationalists keep Europe at bay

FASHION

GLOBAL ADVISER

Waves Of Relief (Next Time You're In ... Sri Lanka)

Surfers ride to the rescue in wake of the 2004 tsunami

Paix Rise (Check In)

Cambodia's Siem Reap gets its hippest hotel yet

LETTER FROM

BRIEFING

Threat Thwarted? (Notebook / France)

France makes more arrests in the search for the enemy within

The Nordic Model Rules (Notebook / Bizwatch)

The World Economic Forum's latest survey of competitiveness says Scandinavia is leading the world

VIEWPOINT

Land Without Shame (Viewpoint / Italy)

A decade after starting to clean up its act, Italy is once again mired in scandal, says Peter Gumbel

BOOKS

Gone with the Wind

Silvia Di Natale tells the moving tale of a Kyrgyz nomad looking for roots

A New Kind of Gumshoe

Rafael Reig transforms the clichés of the detective story into a surreal, comic masterpiece

ARTS

Random Passions (Exhibitions)

An eclectic display of Chinese art in Paris began life as the obsession of one extraordinary man

MOVIES

Ordinary People

Arab-Israeli director Hany Abu-Assad portrays Palestinian suicide bombers as regular guys

LETTERS

HEROES

Dynamic Duo (Heroes 2005 / Activists)

United in outrage, Bob Geldof and Richard Curtis organized the Live 8 concerts to get the world to heed their calls for action on African poverty

Rocking the System (Heroes 2005 / Activist)

Musician Herbert Grönemeyer is forcing poverty and development aid back onto the Political agenda

Going Her Own Way (Heroes 2005 / Reformer)

Dounia Bouzar is showing political and religious leaders how french muslims can balance the demands of their country with those of their faith

Triumph After Tragedy (Heroes 2005 / Activist)

After her daughters died in an accident, Geneviève Jurgensen became France's toughest traffic cop

The Voice Of Compassion (Heroes 2005 / Inspiration)

Offstage, opera legend Placido Domingo is a one-man charity band

Lone Voyager (Heroes 2005 / Inspiration)

Aquatic adventurer Maud Fontenoy puts courage and determination above muscle and might

Underground Rescue (Heroes 2005 / Brave Heart)

Tube driver Jeff Porter responded to London's July 7 terror attacks with quick thinking and classic British reserve

Industrious Activist (Heroes 2005 / Green Team)

In his quest to make big business greener, Lars G. Josefsson is leading by example

Days Of Cedar (Heroes 2005 / Activist)

Entrepreneur Asma-Maria Andraos found that freedom fighting was her first order of business

A Happy Ending (Heroes 2005 / Brave Heart)

When Florence Aubenas went to Baghdad to cover the Iraqi elections, she had no idea that she would become the story

The Accidental Activist (Heroes 2005 / Brave Heart)

For journalist Irina Khalip, exposing injustice in Belarus isn't just a job — it's personal

Sisterhood Can Be Powerful (Heroes 2005 / Activists)

The McCartney clan gave up personal plans and ignored threats to take on the I.R.A. their aim: justice for slain family member Robert

Personal Goals (Heroes 2005 / Hate Buster)

Instead of resting on his football laurels, Thierry Henry is tackling the racism that mars the game

A Force Of Nature (Heroes 2005 / Green Team)

Adam Wajrak uses his writing talent and passion for wildlife to defend Poland's old-growth forests

Lives In The Balance (Heroes 2005 / Reformer)

Breaking with Catholic doctrine, Bishop Kevin Dowling advocates the use of condoms to help save lives

A Good Man To Have In A Crisis (Heroes 2005 / Helping Hands)

As chief of crisis group, Gareth Evans works behind the scenes to detect and defuse conflicts around the world

Taking On The Mob (Heroes 2005 / Crime Fighter)

Businesswoman Silvana Fucito risks her life to help others defend themselves against the camorra

A Mayoral Makeover (Heroes 2005 / Rebel)

Salvaging Albania's blighted capital seemed impossible — until Mayor Edi Rama came back to town

Acceptance — One Reel At A Time (Heroes 2005 / Rebel)

By putting gay life on the big screen, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has helped the fight for equal rights

Key To The City (Heroes 2005 / Hate Buster)

Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen's inclusive policies have defused racial tension and kept tolerance alive

Score One For Tolerance (Heroes 2005 / Hate Buster)

Arab-Israeli soccer player Abbas Suan unites Jews and Arabs through his game

Got His Eyes On The Prize (Heroes 2005 / Activist)

Through his right livelihood awards, Jakob Von Uexkull honors alternative thinkers

Russian Resistance (Heroes 2005 / Activists)

From radiation poisoning to prisoners' rights, Nikolai and Tatyana Shchur take on Russia's toughest issues

Signs Of The Times (Heroes 2005 / Rebel)

Translator Natalya Dmitruk defied Ukraine's government to deliver the truth — and helped spark a revolution

Exceptional Healing (Heroes 2005 / Helping Hand)

Pediatrician Leena Kaartinen has made a career of helping people in dangerous locales

Seriously Funny (Heroes 2005 / Rebel)

Comedian Beppe Grillo may be banned from TV, but He hasn't let that stifle his unique political humor

Brothers in Arms (Heroes 2005 / Helping Hands)

When the asian tsunami hit the Sri Lankan coast, Jake and Aleksis Zarins went into crisis-management mode

Run For Their Lives (Heroes 2005 / Inspiration)

Serge and Nicole Roetheli traveled around the world enduring snakebites and toothache — all for charity

Persistence Of Vision (Heroes 2005)

Some heroes are made in a moment; more often, though, heroes make their own moments by the force of their convictions and determination. Here are a dozen TIME heroes from years past who still inspire