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Hi all, Ahmad and Dwight are your hosts this weekend.

Talking Points for 21 May

Thanks to Steve and ZK overnight. Something that’s being talked about in both China and Burma right now is “What about the children?”

On air on Amazon Day: Does each country have sole responsibility for its natural resources?

The Amazon Paradox is the struggle between the needs of local people to exploit the rainforest and the global need to preserve its unique nature and resources for the whole world.

So who should have the most say in managing the Amazon rainforest? The people who live there? The Brazilian government? The international community? Individuals all over the world?

Talking points for 15 May

Hi there, Brett is your host tonight – as ever please discuss whatever takes your fancy, but give special consideration to the question “Who should protect the Amazon rainforest?” which we will probably consider as part of the Amazon Paradox day on the World Service on Thursday.

Talking Points for 14 May

Thanks to Adam for editing last night. For a quick catchup check out Count Iblis on abortion and Brett on consumption in India vs America.

Other options today include of course China and Burma – the news is pretty grim out of both Sichuan and Yangon. I was wondering what the response to a natural disaster says about a country. When was your country last tested in this way? How did you do?

Talking Points for 08 May

Good morning, and thanks to Will and ZK for keeping things going overnight. The Ghana oil story is an interesting one – we have asked (probably a long time) in the past if the discovery of oil is good for a country. Steve brings up something that I was bound to mention – Israel’s 60th birthday.

Talking points for 2 May

Good morning, the big story today is Condoleezza Rice’s trip to London and the Middle East. Here’s the State Department transcript of her briefing to reporters on the flight over. This is what stood out for me:

It also helps if the international community actually pays its pledges to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. So it’s not just a matter for Israel, although, obviously, Israel has a very important responsibility, probably the lead responsibility, in helping to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. But it’s a shared responsibility. And by the way, it’s a responsibility that is shared by the Palestinian leadership itself.

Do you agree with her assessment of the responsibilities for improving the life of Palestinians?

Talking points for 1 May

Good morning, first up today are the reports of the presidential election results in Zimbabwe – MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe but didn’t win a majority, according to leaked results. That would force a runoff between the two, which the MDC has rejected taking part in. But given the political violence that has occured while everyone waited for the results, can a free, fair and peaceful second vote take place? And what should be done to ensure it does?

On air: Is Obama’s skin colour harming his presidential campaign?

It’s taken almost seven weeks, but Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has finally distanced himself from his former pastor after a couple of recent speeches. Rev Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor for 20 years, the man who married him and his wife and baptised his children, claimed back in March that the United States had brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own “terrorism” and the government had invented AIDS to kill black people.

Originally Senator Obama denounced his comments as “incendiary” and “completely inexcusable”, yesterday his tone changed, “They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced. And that’s what I’m doing very clearly and unequivocally today.” Here are a couple of blogs with their own views.

Talking points for 30 April

Good morning, first up I’ll ask you if now is the time to put our debate about race being good or bad for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign on the radio. The Illinois senator has finally had to put some personal distance between him and his former pastor after a couple of recent speeches – Obama said he was outraged and saddened by Rev Jeremiah Wright’s comments.