Erstellt am: 29. 11. 2012 - 14:50 Uhr

A step to statehood?

Reality Check: UN vote on Palestinian status, the future for Hillary Clinton, the Levenson Report, protests in Tunisia, the genetic code of wheat

The United Nations General Assembly votoes today on upgrading the Palestinian status from observer entity to oberver state. While it's likely the motion will pass, it opens up some key questions for the future, most notably whether the Palestinians could become members of the International Criminal Court.

ICC membership for the Palestinians is something the US and Israel will be keen to avoid, as it paves the way for potential proceedings against Israel for their treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and this issue has been the most hotly debated in the days running up to the vote.

A victory for Mahmoud Abbas will help boost his position after the apparent recent success of Hamas in securing at least a partial lifting of the blockade on Gaza. That left him, and the more moderate Palestinian Authority, looking weak and ineffective, so chalking up a "win", so to speak, at the United Nations will help redress the balance.

Nathan King reports from New York on the vote that is likely to have wide reaching political and diplomatic reverberations.

The future of Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton stands down as Secretary of State in the New Year, but what direction will she take in the future? There is still widespread speculation that she will run for the presidential nomination again in 2016. Steve Crilley looks at expert opinions on Hillary's chances.

The Leveson inquiry

In London, Lord Justice Leveson is to publish his report on the practices and ethics of the press later today.

The inquiry was launched in the wake of the notorious phone hacking scandal, which saw evidence put forward by politicians, police, celebrities, crime victims and the general public.

Political and media analyst, Ivor Gaber examines the potential fallout from the report.

Protests in Tunisia

Thousands of people are demonstrating in Tunisia in the face of high unemployment following the overthrow of President Ben Ali.

Prime Minister Jebali is rejecting calls for him to stand down, saying "This government is not quitting." Jebali is blaming radical Salafists for damaging the economy by frightening away investors. The Salafists were certainly key in the anti-American protests in September, triggered by the "Innocence of Muslims" film, and their increasing political activism has indeed been a worry for international investors, concerned that the government is being hi-jacked by radicals.

Shashank Joshi looks at the protests and their importance
and Tunisian filmmaker Heikel Ben Bouzid explains that, whatever the Jebali says, the people hold the government responsible for the soaring unemployment.

The genetic code of wheat

Wheat is one of the world's most important crops, and also one of the most sophisticated in terms of cultivation.

Deborah McKenzie reviews the implications for food security of the discovery of the genetic code of wheat, which will help the fast development of more robust strains.

FM4 Reality Check

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