The World Today

Scepticism about Europe, the admission of Turkey, the proposed constitutional treaty and financial worries are about to collide as the Dutch assume the rotating European Union presidency. Difficult times lie ahead and Britain will be watching as it prepares to take over next year.

Large gatherings of sports fans and high-profile teams are potential security nightmares. Plans for the August Olympic Games in Greece have been carefully dissected. There has been much less attention given to Euro 2004, the European football championship to be played this month in Portugal

American pressure recently secured the release of a Middle Eastern democracy campaigner who, after speaking out again, was promptly silenced by his government. Could this be happening in one of the states of the ‘axis of evil’? No, it’s our new-found friend, Libya. Whilst all eyes are on the economy, is it possible that the west isn’t paying enough attention to political reform? And is there a danger this will fuel the propaganda of Islamist extremists?

Russia’s Chechen policy lies in tatters after the assassination of Akhmad Kadyrov, its man in Grozny.

Two well-educated and relatively affluent young women walked into the Chorsu market area of Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital city, and detonated explosives strapped to their bodies. Several policemen, hated by many for their corruption and brutality, were instantly killed, along with innocent bystanders and the women themselves. A new form of terrorism had struck in Central Asia.

Economic recovery stimulates the drive for high returns, especially in emerging markets. But how should risk be assessed, particularly in less predictable times? One of the keynote speakers at an upcoming Chatham House conference on the issue believes that human rights hold the key.