Reactions from Serbia as Radovan Karadzic fails to show up in court - Raising awareness of melting Swiss glaciers - Calais struggles to stick to the law of the jungle - The trials and tribulations of testing the best German red wine - And in our series on the fall of communism, we look at the legacy of the 1989 revolution in Hungary.Reactions from Serbia as Radovan Karadzic fails to show up in court.He evaded capture for thirteen years and this week, Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader has shown he's not afraid to reject international justice even longer.The trial of the sixty-four year old, who is charged with eleven counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his part in the Bosnian war of the 1990s, started this week, but Dr Karadzic refused to attend the courtroom, demanding a ten-month delay. Mark Lowen in Belgrade has been following events and gauging reaction in the Serb heartland.Raising awareness of melting Swiss glaciersNew research in Switzerland indicates that climate change is already threatening more than a quarter of the country's farmland.Frequent and lengthy droughts mean more land needs to be irrigated to avoid lost harvests. But it's not just farming land there that's bearing the brunt of climate change. Imogen Foulkes reports from the resort of Grindelwald on the damage global warming is causing in the alps, and some innovative ways to raise awareness of it.Calais struggles to stick to the law of the jungle“The Jungle” was a sprawling shantytown outside the French port city of Calais and it became perhaps the ugliest symbol of Europe's illegal immigration problem.Unregulated, riddled with people smugglers and dangerous, the camp was the last stop for migrants hoping to cross from France to the UK. At the end of September, in a highly publicized action, the French authorities tore the camp down. But as Don Duncan now reports, the problem has not been solved – it's only been dispersed and it's left one group particularly exposed – children.The trials and tribulations of testing the best German red wineIt was a tough assignment for a panel of jurors here in Germany. They've just tasted their way through more than a thousand wines to uncover the county's best reds.The annual German Red Wine prize is one of the most prestigious in the country and it's awarded by the European wine magazine, Vinum. Our reporter Kate Hairsine decided to put her taste buds to the test and sent us this report. Hungary - the revolution of 1989The domestic reforms in the Soviet Union had significantly sped up changes throughout the Eastern Bloc.But one country in particular played a key role in the fall of the Iron Curtain: Hungary. Twenty years ago, Hungary was the first country to open its borders to the West giving mainly East German citizens the chance to escape. Sabina Casagrande has more.Hungary - reflections on 20 years of democracyTwenty years ago, Hungary was one of the front runners in eastern Europe – setting the pace for change.The Communist party abolished itself, free elections were called, and foreign investors were invited in. Nick Thorpe reports from Budapest on what has, and what has not been achieved, over the past 20 years.Hungary - why the country's Roma community has failed to benefit from democracyOne segment of Hungarian society has not prospered since 1989. Roma, or gypsies, make up around 7% of the population. They're still among the poorest in the country and continue to face discrimination.In June, a radical nationalist party, Jobbik, picked up nearly 15% of the vote in elections for the European Parliament. Jobbik's popularity hinges on its hostility towards the Roma and the party's fostered a spate of brutal attacks on Roma. Gabor Daroczi is the Director of the Romaversitas Foundation, which provides support for Roma so they attend universities in Hungary. Rob Turner first asked him how 20 years of democracy have impacted the Roma there.Hungary - The House of Terror and insight into how political prisoners were treated under communismLike many eastern Europeans, Hungarians were at the mercy of the secret police during the communist years.And a museum in the centre of Budapest gives a terrifying insight into how political prisoners were treated. It's called the House of Terror and it's located in the building that was the HQ of the Hungarian Nazi party and then, after World War Two, the communist political police. Barry Mckay visited the museum and has this report.Hungary - the charm of BudapestBudapest is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, with stunning architecture and wonderful views across the River Danube.It's a special city as our correspondent Arpad Szoczi knows all too well.

[ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:05:00 GMT ]

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