The new Iraq war is already underway. For several weeks Israel has bombed sites under the control of Iran-backed Shiite militants. Paramilitaries in turn have attacked US diplomatic and military targets, and regional oil infrastructure.

Often a crisis must become dangerously severe before decisive global action is taken to bring about a solution.

I have spoken to seasoned diplomats who are extremely worried at the prospect of John Bolton’s appointment as US National Security Advisor.

When it came to nuclear brinkmanship, President Richard Nixon was a believer in presenting himself to his communist enemies as a madman who genuinely would press the nuclear button if provoked. Have we now returned to the era of madmen willing to destroy the world on a whim?

For Londoners, one of the most notorious events of 2006 was the fatal poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

With hard-won gains in legal, academic and workplace rights, we are experiencing an exhilarating period for women. Ladies are engaging with the world with growing confidence and speaking out fearlessly on issues such as equal pay and sexual abuse.

One of the surest methods for radicalizing and alienating communities is the blunt instrument of collective punishment, which represents a fundamental breach of the laws of conflict. When you brutally treat whole populations as if they are the enemy, eventually they become your enemy.