Most population growth is happening in the developing world. The clue is in the name - many developing nations are on their way up. Endeavouring to curb population growth can only be a positive thing. Many of the actions we could take are intrinsically humanitarian in themselves.

Against all my own expectations, the Olympic Games have emerged like unexpected blossom on a tree that only flowers erratically. When was the last time GB could stand so proudly tall? I'm reminded of the post war years when the response to the end of WW2 was to implement the Beveridge Report and build the welfare state. Am I comparing a few sporting triumphs to the construction of, amongst other things, the National Health Service? No - that would be pure bathos. But I am comparing a display of national character, where the choices that were made in a moment of coming together, were open, inclusive and dynamically forward looking.

Many people in the world have no idea about dengue fever, while others are all too aware of its dangers and maybe even live in fear of its potentially fatal consequences. Since there is no specific vaccine or treatment for dengue fever, tools for preventing and controlling outbreaks are an immediate priority.