Future stability is further endangered by growing world population

The world’s population will continue to grow, predicts the latest estimate of the United Nations (UN). That obviously pleases countries that exhort families to have more children, such as France, Germany, Japan, and Russia as well as some individuals and families but for most of the developing world such growth could lead to further instability. War, disease, especially AIDS, and starvation—the worst and most inhumane brakes on growth—are limiting factors but access to family planning is lagging, partly for lack of funding but also because of opposition from religious groups, especially from the Roman Catholic Church, and resistance from paternalistic societies ... more

A dozen candidates vie for French presidency:

Bayrou, Royal or Sarkozy?

 The first of three significant elections of national leaders during the next 18 months will be the first round of the presidential election in France on 22 April. Its national importance is obvious as will be the Russian and US voting in 2008 and the expected change in leadership of the governing British Labour Party this fall. While the international importance of the French role is sometimes viewed greater in Paris, ... more

government and leader changes

national and political developments

bio briefs

forecast: april-june 2007

Cabinet Directories: Brazil and Palestine

Documentation: UN Report on Kosovo's Future Status