It's the end of the world as we know it. Or so says Gérard Chaliand, an author and specialist on international conflicts. But there's no need to worry. While China may be rising, and the West declining, the new global order is still a work in progress.

Last month, Barack Obama renewed his pledge to close the controversial prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. However, he still faces stiff resistance from the US Congress. He is also under fire for a leaked Justice Department memo justifying targeted killings in Pakistan. To discuss these issues, Douglas Herbert speaks to Eugene R. Fidell, the co-founder of the National Institute of Military Justice, and a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School.

One year after Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin as president, mutual disdain between Russia and the West is often on public display. To discuss their relationship, Douglas Herbert speaks to Kadri Liik, a Senior Policy Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Affairs.

The number of Syrian refugees has now topped 1.4 million. Most of them have fled to neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. But these host countries are struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. Life in the camps is getting worse and cities are reaching capacity limits, with lack of shelter, poor sanitation and overcrowded healthcare facilities.

Nearly a year after his election, many people who voted for French President François Hollande are disappointed. And, increasingly, the radical left led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon seems an attractive alternative. Sean Rose speaks to Sophie Heine, lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, about current left-wing ideology.

Since the tax fraud scandal involving former Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac, France’s Socialist government is all about transparency and ethics. Our guest today, Noëlle Lenoir, is in charge of preventing MPs’ conflicts of interest at the National Assembly. She tells Douglas Herbert whether or not President Hollande’s proposed law goes far enough.