He was an adviser to Anthony Eden during the 1955 election - fought a year before the Tory prime minister made his stand against what he saw as appeasement, triggering the Suez crisis.

BBC: Rebel of many causes

If growth starts to pick up, central bankers can congratulate themselves on having steered their economies through the crisis without triggering a repeat of the Great Depression.

WSJ: Central Bankers' Change

And aid groups warn the conflict risks triggering a broader humanitarian crisis.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Larger countries such as Spain or Italy struggling to ease their debt loads might then become vulnerable, potentially triggering wider eurozone upheaval and even a global financial crisis to rival the one of 2008.

BBC: G8 Camp David summit targets 'growth and stability'

The BBC's Lucy Williamson, in Seoul, says the trouble, as ever, is what the international community can do in response without triggering an even bigger crisis - North Korea is already tied up in layers of sanctions which do not seem to have had any impact.

BBC: North Korea carries out biggest nuclear test

But given the court orders in her favour, it could be that she will refuse to go, triggering a constitutional crisis.

BBC: Lawyers in Sri Lanka protest on Thursday

Similarly, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has been open in his view that a further devaluation of sterling, on top of the 20% depreciation since the start of the global financial crisis is needed to further rebalance the economy even while warning that other countries risk triggering competitive depreciations.

WSJ: There's a Feeling of Instability Bubbling Up

If interest on the debt issued by Italy and Spain becomes too high then their debt repayments could become unsustainable, triggering an economic crisis.

BBC: ECB's Draghi urges swift action on bailout fund