Editor Allan Leibowitz comments on the news of the week

If you're in North America, you won't need any reminder that tomorrow is Halloween. But for people in other countries, there will no doubt be some confusion about the fancy dress, the trick-or-treating, bonfires and scary stories. For those unfamiliar, October 31 is All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve, an annual observance of the dead - including saints, martyrs and all the faithful departed believers. Like many religious festivals, the real meaning has been lost in the commercialisation of the event. It's now about costumes, candy and carved pumpkins. Of course, this has nothing to do with forklifts, but may explain some of the antics in some countries for those who aren't quite sure of what's going on. And on that note, back to the news ....