As strikes and protests dominate the headlines, we're debating:
Is it right for public sector workers to strike?
In Britain, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers have been striking today, angry about pay and changes to pensions. Thousands of schools closed and many public services were disrupted. The UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper says some emergency service workers also stayed at home.

All this as Greece recovers from two days of violent protests about public spending cuts. Just last year, workers in South Africa's schools and hospitals were locked in a long running dispute -- which included weeks of strikes.

And we're also asking: what's the best approach to gay rights? In the US, New York recently became the sixth American state to allow same sex marriage. We talked earlier in the week about addressing this - and our interest was sparked again today because a BBC report about so-called "corrective rape" in South Africa has attracted lots of interest. We're hoping to get together two people with strongly opposing views on this to talk it out.

This topic was discussed on World Have Your Say on 23 June 2011. Listen to the programme.

Today is the first ever UN International Widows' Day. It's putting the spotlight on a particularly vulnerable population - a group of people who are rarely able to make their voices heard.

Rosaleen Cunningham posted a thoughtful article on the HelpAge International website which looks at the way women who are widowed often face triple discrimination. They're excluded on the grounds of their gender, because of their age especially if they are widowed late in life and also by the stigma which is associated with having lost a husband and being a woman living without a man.

Today we’re doing a special programme on the issue - part of a three hour special with colleagues at BBC Africa Have Your Say. We're bringing together widows from around the world to discuss their experiences and debate the issues. Some saw their husbands killed in front of them. Others lost husbands from illness. Some were supported by wider family. Others feel abandoned. Perhaps you or someone close to you has been widowed too? If you have any comments or questions, do get in touch.

These topics were discussed on World Have Your Say on 14 June, 2011. Listen to the programme.

In the 1700G edition of the programme, we're looking at two hot topics. First: How threatened do you feel by cyber war? According to Reuters, South Korea announced today that it's drawing up a cyber security master plan to protect itself after a wave of attacks. Meanwhile a minister in Indonesia says they face more than a million hacker attacks every day.

And the US is taking action too. At the start of this month, the Pentagon said it was drawing up plans to categorise cyber attacks as an act of war. That means it could respond to a major attack with conventional missile strikes or cyber retaliation. And a few days ago, CIA chief Leon Panetta said the next Pearl Harbour could be a cyber attack.

The corporate world is also worried. Sony, Lockheed Martin and the IMF have all been in the news recently because of cyber hackers. But is the term "cyber war" really fair - and accurate? Is it as threatening as conventional war? How worried are you?

Should suicide be shown on TV?

Last night the BBC broadcast a controversial documentary which showed the suicide of a terminally ill man. It was presented by the writer Sir Terry Pratchett who says the experience hasn't altered his views on the subject. The BBC says it hopes the programme will allow people to make up their own minds.

The whole issue of assisted suicide is one we've debated before on the programme. But we wanted to focus this time on whether or not a real suicide is beyond the limits of what television should show - and what affect it might have.

If you have a comment or a question, do get in touch. Look forward to talking to you soon.

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Two topics on our minds today.

First of all, Syria. What do we really know about American-Syrian blogger, Amina Arraf?

An international campaign is calling for the release of the American-Syrian blogger, Amina Arraf. Reports, started by posts on her blog, suggest she was detained by the security forces in Damascus. Amina's blog "A Gay Girl in Damascus" gave her a reputation for being outspoken in writing about her sexuality - she's a lesbian - and in criticising President Assad and calling for reform in Syria.

Now there's a Facebook page dedicated to her release and the hashtag #FreeAmina is trending on Twitter. But some journalists have raised doubts about who's really written the blog - and whether Amina, if that's her identity, has in fact been detained. American journalist Andy Carvin has been looking into this and says he finds it odd that he can't find anyone who's met her in person.

All this points to a wider problem: the information fog surrounding events in Syria. There's little independent confirmation of events and no access for foreign journalists. How much can we know for sure about what's really happening there?

And we're also looking at a very different subject, sexual misconduct.
We ask: Why do powerful men think they can get away with it?

A lot of you are talking about the married American Congressman, Anthony Wiener. He's admitted having online sexual relationships with six women. He was forced to speak out, if you remember, after a female student was sent a lewd photograph via Twitter of him in his underwear.

And then there were the revelations about two other American politicians who recently admitted to sexual affairs: former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator John Edwards. The Detroit Free Press tries to make sense of the psychology. Meanwhile AskMen.com argues that women are simply drawn to powerful men - and explains why. We'll be hearing from their UK editor on the programme.

What do you think? Do powerful men think they're invincible? Do men become powerful because they're risk takers - in their personal lives as well as their careers?

Look forward to talking later.

This topic was discussed on World Have Your Say in 7 June, 2011. Listen to the programme.

It's proving extremely difficult to find out exactly what's happening in the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughur. Have a look at this BBC piece which assesses who's saying what.

There are reports that some residents are now fleeing the town because they're frightened of a military assault. The Syrian authorities say there'll be decisive action to restore control. All this after state media reported that more than a hundred and twenty members of the security forces were killed there in the last few days of violence.

In Libya, huge explosions are reported in Tripoli as Nato jets strike. And in Yemen, there's more violence in the south amid uncertainty about the political future, now President Saleh has left the country for medical treatment. The Guardian newspaper has this assessment of what may come next.

We'll have the latest on what's happening in Syria. And as the turmoil continues across the region, we want to ask: what impact is the unrest having on daily life? Are you living in a country where there's currently turmoil - or perhaps in touch with family there? What can you tell us about the conditions - and how to cope, practically and psychologically?

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

It's proving extremely difficult to find out exactly what's happening in the Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughur. Have a look at this BBC piece which assesses who's saying what.

There are reports that some residents are now fleeing the town because they're frightened of a military assault. The Syrian authorities say there'll be decisive action to restore control. All this after state media reported that more than a hundred and twenty members of the security forces were killed there in the last few days of violence.

In Libya, huge explosions are reported in Tripoli as Nato jets strike. And in Yemen, there's more violence in the south amid uncertainty about the political future, now President Saleh has left the country for medical treatment. The Guardian newspaper has this assessment of what may come next.

We'll have the latest on what's happening in Syria. And as the turmoil continues across the region, we want to ask: what impact is the unrest having on daily life? Are you living in a country where there's currently turmoil - or perhaps in touch with family there? What can you tell us about the conditions - and how to cope, practically and psychologically?

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

See listeners' comments about this programme

ON AIR: How can football fans influence the way football is run?

The debate about Fifa continues - and it's clear from the volume of comments and calls to yesterday's programme that this is a topic many of you feel passionately about.

The President of the world football body, Sepp Blatter, faces re-election - unopposed - on Wednesday. Despite allegations of corruption, concern about transparency and the suspension of two senior figures, he insists there's no crisis.

There are growing calls for the election to be postponed, coming from the English Football Association and others. What do you think? Should sponsors use their influence? Whatever they think, how can fans make their voices heard?

ON AIR: On World No Tobacco Day: Should the world give thanks for tobacco?

It's World No Tobacco Day. And yet no government bans tobacco.

That's got lots of you talking. Some want rid of tobacco, saying smoking is a filthy habit. Others highlight the impact on health. The World Health Organisation says nearly six million people will die this year from tobacco use.

But if smoking's so bad, why not just ban it outright?

Besides, plenty of people sound fed up with the endless criticism. They point to the huge revenues tobacco brings - some of which support governments through taxation. Governments may condemn smoking but they've never actually banned it. And then there's the question about whether tobacco companies should be allowed to offer sponsorships and other forms of cash support... What do you think? Should we condemn smoking - or give thanks for tobacco?

Look forward to talking later.

FIFA: do you trust FIFA to clean up football?
What a few days it's been for FIFA, the governing body of world football. The head of Asian football, Mohammed bin Hammam and FIFA's vice president Jack Warner
have both been suspended pending investigations into corruption allegations. Both deny wrongdoing.

That leaves the current President, Sepp Blatter, confident of re-election on Wednesday - but it also leaves widespread concerns about FIFA's shattered reputation. And the allegations just keep coming.

Clearly there's a crisis of credibility... But what comes next? Does FIFA have the political will - or face enough pressure - to reform itself? Or is it time it was scrapped altogether?

Sepp Blatter is expected to address the press in a few hours time - what can he do or say that would make a difference?

Also On Air: Does your country need nuclear power?

Earlier, in the 1100G edition, we talked about how realistic that was for Germany.

Now we're keen to move the debate on. Would a non-nuclear energy future be best for your country? Or is nuclear energy the "least worst" option, compared with coal-fired power?

And what about the developing world and energy-hungry economies like India and China? China is prone to earthquakes - but, according to the World Nuclear Association, it has 14 nuclear power reactors operating and is already building another 25.

Look forward to talking soon.

This topic was discussed on 26 April 2011. Listen to the programme.

Hi,

Jill McGivering here, looking forward to presenting the 1700 and 1800 GMT editions of WHYS today. I'm covering for Ros who's presenting on BBC World TV. I worked over the weekend so I'm also looking forward to a few days off with my family after today and we're planning to... Too much information? How much should I be telling you anyway? I'm asking because privacy is on my mind. It's a hot issue in the news.

ON AIR: IS LESS PRIVACY A GOOD THING?
BBC journalist, Andrew Marr, is at the centre of a debate about UK privacy. He's gone public about an earlier decision to get a court order to stop the media reporting about his personal life. Now he says he's embarrassed. Court orders are now being used so much that some people say they're out of control. So where should the balance lie between privacy and press freedom? And who should decide?

Purity says on Facebook: We have no privacy at all. Technology has taken it all away. The more advanced technology gets; the more exposed we get.

Agree? If we have lost our privacy - as a result of everything from social media to being tracked by your iphone - is that good or bad?

This whole discussion has also led us to think more about the limited information we're getting out of Syria at the moment.

ON AIR: SYRIA: WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?
Reports from the Syrian city of Deraa of yet more violence, weeks after pro-democracy protests began. Some describe bodies in the streets. The crackdown by the Syrian government has been condemned - but is clearly continuing. The lack of transparency - and lack of access for journalists - makes it hard for the world to know what's happening and how far the Syrian Government's claims are true.

Technology is making a difference. The Guardian has reported on the way skype, phone footage and youtube have been used by protesters to spread information. Is it a blessing or a curse?

We'll try to bring you the latest from the ground. If you're in Syria - or in touch with someone there - do get in touch.

Look forward to hearing from you soon,
Jill

See listeners' comments about this programme

Moussa Koussa - who was Colonel Gaddafi's foreign minister until he defected less than two weeks ago - says he feared Libya could become the new Somalia unless dialogue starts soon.

Nato said it IS vigorously enforcing the UN mandate to protect civilians. Some countries are clearly reluctant to step up the action and dragging their feet about committing more resources.

Should Nato do more? Or will it face accusations - as France did just yesterday when it played a key role in the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast - that it's interfering, even being "neo-colonialist"?

Whether you're in a neighbouring country, a Nato country - or looking on elsewhere, do get in touch and tell us how far you think Nato should go in forcing Libya to a tipping point.

See listeners' comments about this programme