On air: Does Mullah Baradar’s capture mean anything?

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is thought to be the Taliban’s top military commander, has been captured in Pakistan.

U.S government sources say that the prisoner is the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the US-led war in Afghanistan began in 2001. And analysts seem to agree that the Baradar development is a ‘big deal’.

Ear for an ear does the punishment fit the crime?

A Pakistani judge has ordered two men to have their ears and noses cut off, as punishment for doing the same to a woman who refused to marry one of them. The government prosecutor Ehtisham Qadir said the punishment had been awarded in accordance with the Islamic principle of “an eye for an eye”.

On air: Did President Obama convince you?

We knew the figures yesterday. Now, after the speech, we know the reasoning, the strategy and the endgame. Are you impressed? Are you persuaded? And can it establish a democratic and stable Afghanistan, while keeping America and Afghan public opinion on board?

Are we becoming obsessed with soft news?

Ask anyone what the most important issues in the world are today and one,two or all of the items in the list below are likely to come up. This is no particular order:
Iran, the war in Afghanistan, the economic downturn, Russia, global warming, Pakistan attacks, Middle East peace, China, Iraq

On a global scale, these are the most important stories – yes ?. These are the stories we are most interested in, right? According to one or two indices, wrong.

They are not what we are most interested in, judging by news websites in across the globe.

Another bloody day in Pakistan

32 people have been killed in Pakistan today.

In Lahore, militants attacked offices of the FIA, as well as two police training centres.

Should Pakistan take America’s money?

If someone offered me $1.5 billion a year for the next five years (that’s a lot of World Have Your Say shifts!), I’d probably bite their hand off. But in international politics, things are a bit more complicated.

The US Congress has approved a bill to grant that amount to help Pakistan develop and it’s now awaiting the Presidential signature in the Oval Office. But there is controversy in Pakistan itself about the strings attached.

Can the Pakistan Taliban survive the “death” of Baitullah Mehsud?

“We both are alive,” says Taliban commander Wali-ur-Rehman. He might find that the US, Pakistan and its neighbours  in the region beg to differ. They are pretty confident that the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Baitullah Mehsud is very much dead.

That’s what so  many of you have been talking about around the world and on this blog.  We touched on this story on Friday during the first half of our programme, but unfortunately telephone lines didn’t work in our favour. It’s still been one of the biggest stories of the weekend. Is he dead? If he isn’t should Taliban prove it? And if he is, can the Taliban survive his death or is the leadership of this organisation more than just about one man?

Are you celebrating Baitullah Mehsud’s death?

There are strong indications that a top Pakistani Taliban leader was killed in a US air attack in the South Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan. The White House has just said although they can’t confirm the death, there seems to be a growing consensus that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed.

If a killer asks to die, should we kill them?

His deadly attacks in Mumbai were shocking; as was his unexpected confession early this week. And in a final twist,  Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab has  said he’s ready to be hanged and wants no mercy from the court.

On air: Have you lost the argument if protests turn violent?

“If I’m surrounded by police, then I shouldn’t be there”.
This was posted on our blog last night by Mark, a British soldier, after a video emerged of an apparently unprovoked attack by riot police on a man at last week’s G20 protests. The man now died and there are calls for an inquiry into the police’s actions. (Read Mark’s full post here) It comes after a very busy 24 hours for riot police across the globe.