Wednesday morning..
Good morning to you all, here in West London I can see a number of stories which you might want to talk about today.
If you have any better ideas, burning questions or want to tell us about talking points in your area, please get in touch (and don't forget to leave us a phone number). Post a comment at or email us.
First up, Pakistan. The state of emergency is still in place. The security situation in the North West border region has deteriorated, the ousted Chief Justice against the President. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto will decide today and Imran Khan, another opposition leader forced into hiding has promised a ...
I think this is worth a revisit.
UGANDAN REBELS WANT FORGIVENESS
. A delegation from the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army, is due to visit refugee camps later today to meet some of the victims of the group's 20 year insurgency. The LRA representatives have already asked local Ugandans for forgiveness and some of them are reported to have taken part in traditional cleansing ceremonies before meeting community leaders.
They want to ask for people's opinions on whether an alternative justice mechanism could be found to the charges brought against five of its leaders by the international criminal court.
Can the victims forgive? Is it really an alternative for justice? Will it help heal the country or is it simply an easy way out for the rebels?
RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS
A Sikh mother from the South Wales says she's taking legal advice after her 14 year-old daughter, Sarika Singh, was , or "Kara".
Sinita Singh said that the small Kara (one of the the five K's of the Sikh religion) is an important part of her daughter's faith and that it is not a piece of jewellery. (Mrs Singh says that, for health and safety reasons her daughter is prepared to remove the bangle off for gym classes and wood or metalwork.)
Why do people keep fighting for the right to wear religious symbols? Why do people and institutions want them banned? What do these symbols really mean?
We've done all sorts of stories about this kind of thing - hijab, niqab, France's secular laws, Danish outrage, Iranian dress bans… How some countries are tolerant while others aren't… Is this freedom of expression? Or is it a way of showing difference and setting yourself apart from society? Why the on earth do people get so worked about them in the first place?
SARKOZY IN AMERICA - is everything all ok now?
The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, is in Washington for his first official talks with President Bush. What do the French and the Americans think of each other? Is Sarkozy picking up where Tony Blair left off?
LEGALISE PROSTITUTION?
The Womens Institute in the Hampshire, UK, famed for making cakes for charity, has begun . After 5 prostitutes were murdered in Ipswich last year, this branch of the WI felt that this was the only way to protect the safety of prostitutes.
Its an unusual alliance, but is this the best way to deal with prostitution? Legalising it, licensing brothels is one way - but in Amsterdam, where it is legal and licensed, residents say it does not necessarily reduce crime. Its complicated, but what do you think is the best way forward? Perhaps you think that legalising it simply encourages prostitution, and that a concerted effort to enforce the law is actually what is needed.
Sweden has a law which makes it illegal to (i.e. the men who use prostitutes are the criminals). They belive this has worked and is the way forward. A survey in Scotland a few weeks ago, .
Your thoughts?
NO PROGRESS ON BURMA
We've talked about Burma a lot lately. The talking point here is that - no one wants to talk to anyone here... What will force the Junta to make concessions?
GEORGIA - the Rose Revolution has lost its bloom?
On the in the Georgian capital, Tblisi, fighting has broken out between police and demonstrators. President Mikhail Saakashvili came to power on a wave of popular support four years ago, he now stands accused of being as corrupt adn autocratic as the man he replaced. Does Georgia need another revolution? Do they have the stomach to do it again? Is it necessary?
MORE AFRICAN MIGRANTS DIE TRYING TO GET TO EUROPE
was the biggest yet so far this year. Its an ongoing problem, for everyone involved, and perhaps the issue should be explored by World Have Your Say - why do African migrants make such a perilous journey? Are the risks worth it? What do the ones who make it across alive find on the other end? How do the Spaniards and Maltese and Italians see it?
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