Arabic Video News in English

Almost any headline these days tells us how the world’s outlook seems gloomy.

Population growth, climate change, poverty: the problems of the world seem insurmountable.

But not everyone agrees.

In his new book, Jeffrey Sachs, a special adviser to the UN secretary general and director of the Earth Institute, claims that with international will and cooperation, all these crises can be averted.

Also, Emily Morris from the Economist Intelligence Unit tells Sir David what the changes in Cuba really mean.

Kai Eide, the UN envoy for Afghanistan, speaks to Al Jazeera’s Seb Walker about security, the Taliban and opium production.

The United Nations is expected to reveal a so-called battle plan to tackle the growing global food crisis.

The meeting in Switzerland on Monday comes after a warning from the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

Jean Ziegler says biofuels are a crime against humanity. Al Jazeera asked him to give us his personal view on exactly what’s wrong with the system right now.

Josette Sheeran is the head of the UN World Food Programme, the body set up to combat world poverty.

She explains the reasons for the current food crisis and what the international community can do to help.

Also, Sir David is joined by Maria Emma Mejia, former Colombian foreign minister and the head of the Organisation of American States’ mission to supervise the electoral process in Paraguay.

Hans Blix, the former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq talks to Al Jazeera’s Mark Seddon, five years on from the start of the war in Iraq.