Are young people becoming addicted to the internet?

Teenagers around the northern hemisphere are coming to the end of their summer holidays. The credit crunch, working parents and other factors will have meant that many of them will have been stuck at home for much of their time off school. And lots of them will have been on the internet. For hour after hour. Some parents feel that it’s safe – they’re at home and all is well. Others are concerned about over-use of the internet. At 1230 GMT this Saturday, Newshour will be asking whether this concern is justified.

Should we pay couples not to have kids?

Birth control is getting creative in India – from increasing late night tv (yes to take couples’ minds off procreating) to encouraging women not to marry until they are 30 (when a women’s fertility begins to drop). Whilst these initiatives might not seem very convincing, the Indian government’s latest idea could be a little more tempting. Money.

On air: Are you confused about swine flu ?

It’s “unstoppable” says the WHO, and could be the biggest pandemic ever. 

As of last week, there  are around 95 thousand confirmed cases worldwide , and 433 deaths.

Here’s the latest advice on the first flu pandemic for 40 years.

We seem to have veered from panic, to acceptance, to signs of panic again .

So what is going on ?

40 thousand people a week in Britain alone are contacting their doctors fearing they may have it.

Blank Page No. 21

Jessica’s taking charge of the Blank Page from New York City. If you’d like to follow suit next weekend, let me know.

Should first cousins be allowed to have children together?

Change of plan. We’ve had a string of problems getting the guests we need to set this discussion up. Some people won’t come on air to talk about their experience, others are simply unable to make today’s show. We may return to it another day when more people are available. We’re definitely going to speak to people affected by the Chinese quake, and we may go for another subject. I’ll update here when we decide.

Is it right to glamorize extreme thinness?

The French National Assembly has passed a groundbreaking bill which seeks to criminalise the promotion in the media of extreme thinness. That’s everything from pro-anorexia websites that encourage girls and young women to starve themselves, to magazines and advertisers. If approved by France’s upper house, those found to have encouraged severe weight loss could be fined up to 45,000 euros and face three years in prison. Is this the right approach? Or should there be no limits on what can appear on the web?

Do you want your government to fund alternative therapies?

Have a read of this article which argues that it should. I’ll post more in a little while, once I’ve sent the Daily Email.

Where do you draw the line in scientific research?

A change to embryo laws in the UK has sparked a furious debate.

Over the Easter period a number of Catholic Church leaders in Britain called for MPs to vote against a change in the current Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, which would allow the creation of animal-human embryos for research.

Should you have the right to die?

Chantal Sebire was a 52 year old Frenchwoman with an incurable facial tumour caused by cancer. She was blind, disfigured and suffering intense pain. She died on Wednesday, but she wanted to die before then.

She’d asked the French courts to allow doctors to help her to end her life. The courts refused. Was that the correct decision?

What is the best way to prevent STDs?

Hello everyone I’m Komla Dumor sitting in for Ros Atkins on World Have Your Say. Two hours of global debate and discussion at 1800GMT, and there are two big issues for you to talk about today.

Earlier this week, Lavinia who is working with us as part of a work experience scheme suggested we talk about the rise in sexually transmitted diseases in the US.