Please keep it brief

Just a quick reminder that we’d like all our comments on this blog to be a contribution to a conversation, not an essay on a particular subject. I’ve just been approving comments for the past hour and a fair amount got deleted because of their length. Our blog guidelines are here. If we all stick to them, the discussions we have will be all the better for it. Thanks.

On air: Are the Somali pirates the real heroes?

The capture and rescue of Captain Richard Phillips has been around about the top story in the world for days. And now he’s free there’s been even more handsome praise for the bravery, selflessness and heroism of a man who put his life at risk to protect his crew.

Talking points: 13 April 2009

Tension remains high in Thailand with The Thai soldiers firing hundreds of live rounds to clear them from a major road junction.Demonstrators responded by hurling at least one gasoline bomb and 70 people were reported injured, most by tear gas.