A slight diversion today, to bring news of an interesting website: gapminder. Those with an interest in development issues will find much of interest in the 'gapminder world 2006' database.

Plotting life expectancy against fertility and playing it over time is particularly interesting - giving a view of China's astonishing development and the impact of the AIDS pandemic in Africa (the blue countries). Tracking individual countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Rwanda gives a dramatic visual representation of their recent histories.

Those with an interest in sword swallowing swedish statisticians (admittedly a niche market) will also find much of interest in watching Hans Rosling present his lecture. Fast forward to near the end for the good stuff.

Elsewhere, there's an interesting article in the Times about the potential next Vice President.

My thoughts on the matter are that, for McCain, Crist is a no-go because of persistent rumours that he's gay, Lieberman because he would leave a vacant Senate seat in Connecticut which the Democrats would almost certainly win, and Rice because of her proximity to Bush. I suspect Mitt Romney, despite the personal antipathy between them, best offers McCain the fiscally conservative, 'obviously qualified to be president' candidate that he needs.

For Clinton, Wes Clark and Evan Bayh are probably the two favourites. For Obama, Clark might also be an option depending on the extent to which his relationship with the Clintons (to whom Clark is VERY close) has degraded by the time he wins the nomination. Otherwise, Joe Biden, Kathleen Sebelius, Bill Richardson or Tim Kaine are all distinct possibilities, with Biden offering the foreign policy experience and Sebelius and Kaine offering the executive experience; both of which Obama lacks. Bill Richardson potentially offers both, and a truly historic African American-Latino ticket. Watch this space...

CentreForum director Alasdair Murray has written an article for Open Democracy responding to the recent reports of a 'brain drain' of educated graduates from the UK.

The money quote:

...the reality is that this trend is neither new nor alarming. The surge in skilled emigration has as much to do with the recent strength of the British economy - and especially the housing market - as it does with any political failings. Rising affluence combined with EU freedom of movement rules and the voracious appetite of other growing economies for skilled labour have liberated more British people than ever to choose where they want to live.

Read it in full here...

The papers' World News sections make depressing reading today.  The Hamas 'victory' in Gaza is regarded as a terrifying omen for all.

The move is a blow to Fatah, Israel, the west's foreign policy and, not least, the men and (especially) women of Gaza. However, as The Guardian points out, the gloom spreads further still:

'The pro-western Arab states, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are devastated by the Hamas victory, which fuels their own fears of domestic Islamist opposition and strong dislike of Iran's role in Iraq and Lebanon.' Little to celebrate at the birth of 'Hamastan''

The FT ('Gaza falls to Hamas hardliners') and The Telegraph ('Fundamentalists threaten Israel from all sides') add their own sense of doom. But its the personal perspective of a Gaza resident in The Independent that reminds us of the impact on people's daily lives in Gaza ('Amid this chaos, suffering will get worse')

And to think that sorting out the Middle East was going to be part of Blair's legacy.

A bad week all round.

Also in today's news

If you read CentreForum's recent pamphlet on demographics ('From boom to bust? Fertility, ageing and demographic change', you will want to read 'Suddenly the old world looks younger' in this week's Economist.

It's always gratifying when ones work is appreciated.  Mary Riddell in yesterday's Observer used a CentreForum pamphlet by Alasdair Murray ('From boom to bust?') as her starting point ('But not everyone can grow old gracefully').

The pamphlet argues that the demographic doom-mongers are wrong.  There are great shifts in the UK's demographics, but the nation can adapt and cope (as indeed, it has done so in the past).  Riddell accepts this and joins Alasdair in lauding the advances that have made the average 79 year old today as healthy as an average 65 year old in 1936. 

However, she remains uneasy. The pamphlet deliberately sets out the parameters that public policy must be aware of over the next 50 years.  Riddell picks up our challenge and starts to ask how we need to adapt.  In particular, she is concerned about care for frail, elerly people who don't enjoy a good quality of life, concluding bleakly:

[I wonder] why a society that opened up a wonderful new frontier of human existence has contrived to make it such a barren place.

Also in today's news

Ming Campbell has been trying to find a voice over the weekend with limited success:

• His letter to Gordon Brown about reform of the Prime Minister's powers of Royal Prerogative was picked up in today's Independent ('MPs should be awarded Queen's historic powers, says Campbell').

• His interview yesterday with BBC's AM programme sounds rather unenlightening from the write up on the BBC website ('Sir Menzies fends off critisicm')  The emphasis on the importance of housing is interesting though.  Does this mean that Ming is being told by his pollsters that housing is concerning the voters enough to make it a top priority?  And do the Lib Dems have enough of an identity on that issue to make it a key feature of any future election?