Newsline 17 November 2009: Brussels presents a plan to help out the Somali police - could this be a mission too far for the EU? The 'hunger summit" may have failed to attract the world's most important leaders but it has attracted plenty of critics, and a "green" road tax that aims to help out both the Dutch environment and Dutch drivers.

Can the EU succeed in Somalia where it failed in Afghanistan?
As Somali pirates continue to spread fear in the Gulf of Aden, the EU says it plans to beef up security in the region. Brussels says it wants to train thousands of Somali police as well as extend its current anti-piracy operations along the coast. But the EU has fallen short of its ambitions in training police in Afghanistan, so will it do any better in Somalia? Listen to a report by our EU correspondent Vanessa Mock.

UN hunger summit under fire
The 'hunger summit' convened in Rome this week by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation is short on prominent guests - Obama's in China - but not on devastating criticism of its host, and of FAO director-general Jaques Diouf in particular. Listen to an interview with Michiel Keyzer of the Centre for World Food Studies in Amsterdam.

Green road tax for The Netherlands
opinions are divided here in the Netherlands over a proposed new "green" road tax. The system will be the first of it's kind in Europe and aims to charge motorists for every kilometre they drive. Gas guzzling carowners will pay more than those who drive more environmentally friendly cars. Listen to a report by Newsline's Paddy Maguire.