For decades, the conflict between Israelis and Arabs has cast a shadow over the region.

WHITEHOUSE: Moment of Opportunity: American Diplomacy in the Middle East & North Africa | The White House

But BP's disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has cast another dark shadow over the region.

ECONOMIST: New Orleans five years after Katrina

Mr Lloyd, who was elected as PCC in November, said child sexual exploitation was a "hugely complex issue which casts a dark shadow" across the region.

BBC: Summit held to tackle child grooming in Greater Manchester

Although it has not experienced the levels of violence seen elsewhere in the North Caucasus, the republic lives in the shadow of the troubles which have plagued the region.

BBC: Karachay-Cherkessia profile

Before the 1960s Imja was a glacier, but a recent temperature increase in the Himalayan region melted it into a substantial lake, which glistens under the shadow of the awe-inspiring Everest range.

BBC: Long-distance swimming in Nepal��s glacial mountain lakes