The World Today Bird Flu: Worried But Not Doing Enough Uncertainty, rapid change and complexity are the hallmarks of the twenty-first century. Nothing is more symbolic of these new dynamics than bird flu. Over the past year there has been a rising crescendo of concern about the possibility it might mutate into a dangerous human virus, though scientists have been aware of its potential global impacts for at least a decade.
The World Today Climate Change: Long Haul on Climate Negotiators are on their annual migration to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This month some ten thousand people will flock to the Canadian city of Montreal to discuss how best to tackle the climate change problem. Such negotiations are not for the faint- hearted. The discussions, and hence the migration, have been going on for fifteen years.
The World Today Middle East: Voting But For What? This has been a busy year for polling stations in the Middle East. Presidential elections have been held in Iran, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, parliamentary elections in Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon and local polling in Saudi Arabia. Iraq, the Palestinian Authority and Iran have all seen changes of leadership. All good signs for a region not previously noted for democratic trends. With the next round of Iraqi elections due in mid-December, are votes enough to convince the peoples of the Middle East that democracy really is on its way?
The World Today Book Review - International Law: Remaking the Rules Michael Byers, War Law: International Law and Armed Conflict, Atlantic Books, 2005, £16.99;Philippe Sands, Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules, Allen Lane, Penguin,2005, £12.99
The World Today Russia, China and Japan: Putin's Oriental Puzzle As President Vladimir Putin flew back to Russia after his much postponed visit to Japan, he could have been forgiven for asking whether it had been worth all the trouble. A seemingly interminable dispute over possession of a few rocky outcrops not only casts a long shadow over Russia-Japan relations, but it represents arguably the greatest impediment to a proper Asian policy for Moscow.
The World Today India and Pakistan - The Earthquake: Peace Amid the Ruins Can natural disasters, like last year’s tsunami and now the Asian earthquake, break the deadlock in long-running political disputes? In the case of Kashmir, half a century of distrust is proving hard to overcome, despite the scale of human tragedy.
The World Today Austria's European Union Presidency: Mountains to Climb January sees Austria take over the rotating European Union Presidency, an irony to many given its recent steadfast opposition to opening membership talks with Turkey which it must now push forward. Vienna faces domestic political problems and considerable scepticism about the European project, a recipe for a difficult time in charge.
The World Today Bolivia: Presidential Merry-Go-Round It is a tale of road-blocks, coca farmers, gas contracts and a rapid succession of presidents. From La Paz in the high Andes to the lowlands of the east, they are about to try to agree on a new leader. The election result might not go down well internationally, and even within Bolivia an unusual voting system could produce more tension.
