And Africa not so connected…

A dose of reality about the internet from South Africa… This IT company found it was faster to send a carrier pigeon with a memory stick than it was to send the same information 100km by internet. Have you ever had the feeling it would be faster to send information the old-fashioned way than down the ‘info super-highway’?

Does shock still have value?

This video has been watched several million times online.
The issue may be a relatively new one, the tactic of using shock to get a message across isn’t. But can it still have the same impact, or have we become desensitised?

On air: Do you trust the Afghan election result ?

 

The Afghan Ambassador to the US Said Tayeb Jawad told the World Today programme that the recent elections were a success  … and that the real winners were the Afghan people. You can listen to the clip here:

This person — an Afghan election observer — is sharing some of that optimism – at least to a certain degree.  They say, “it is clear that Afghanistan is having significant issues with the way this election was conducted. But in one city, looking through one straw, it looked as if it went pretty well.”

But not everyone is feeling quite so sure.

On air: Should soldiers risk their lives for journalists?

There’s another angle to Afghanistan in the news today – the rescuing of New York Times journalist Stephen Farrell. A British soldier was killed during the raid, along with two Afghan civilians. Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi, who had been captured along with Stephen Farrell in Kunduz, was also killed during the rescue. On the Times discussion forum today one poster, KC, reflected the views of many there.

This is absolutely disgraceful that a soldier has to put his life at risk in an effort to save someone who shouldn’t be there.

Is it time to stop punishing Zimbabwe?

It’s been labelled everything from a pariah state to a basket case, and its President a monster. But Southern African heads of state have called on the international community to end sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“I am who I am and I’m proud of myself”

Just seen this story of South African sprinter Caster Semanya’s makeover has hit ‘most read’ on the BBC website. Wondering what you make of it? Here is the front cover of the magazine who did the shoot.

The BBC has learned that the South African runner, Caster Semenya, will be allowed to keep the gold medal she won in the eight-hundred metres World Championships last month — regardless of the results of gender tests.

Nadine Kussaim: How I speak to my 5-year-old about her weight

Nadine was one of the contributors on last Friday’s program about why women are uncomfortable with their bodies. She was speaking about weight and body image when the topic of speaking to her daughter about her weight and what she eats came up. Many of you responded to what she said and so I called and asked her to write a post explaining her viewpoint. This is Nadine’s post:

The airline terror plot; how did you react ?

These three men were caught before they tried to blow up planes in 2006.

The BBC’s been told that more plots are likely- and that Al Quaeda has an “obesession” with commercial airliners.

Here’s how those close to the story reacted, but what about you ? ?

Your country or your religion first ?

On yesterday’s programme I was struck by comments from our contributor John Bernard, the father of Joshua Bernard whose photograph sparked the outcry, talked about how people should identify themselves. He said the Marine ethos is allegiance to God, family, country, corps, in that order.

Listen to John Bernard

Are you noticing migrants going home from your country ?

1.3 million migrants arrived in Britain up to last year – mainly from eastern Europe.

Now, according to this survey, about half of them have gone home – the recession being to blame.

The same report says that in many other countries, migrants are preferring to stay put in their adopted countries -because the situation at home is no better.

But there’s been a dramatic downturn in people going to work abroad.