The United Nations will not support military intervention in Syria, but every day there are more reports of violent crack downs against pro-democracy protestors. But how much do we know about what is really happening in Syria? Is the country close to collapse, or does the President continue to have the support of his people?
We talk a lot these days about the politics of climate change, but what does it mean? Political change takes place in such a vastly different time frame to that of climate change -- 20 years is a long time in politics but a very short time for climatic shifts to occur -- so we're really talking about the way the concept of climate change has become a new, highly-charged element in the unpredictable mix of politics. This presents an enormous challenge to policy makers.
India's democracy is oft described as the world's biggest democracy and the country, since Independence, has generally enjoyed free and fair elections with mass voter turnout. But why is it that India's economic growth has not led to real change in the lives of the poorest?
According to Agnieszka Sobocinska, travel has become the dominant mode of Australian interaction with Asia and this has shaped the way in which the region is perceived at all levels. She suggests that first-hand knowledge about Asia has resulted in an increasing comfort with the region.