World Service - World Have Your Say homepage

This programme was broadcast on BBC World News TV on 8 April 2011. We discussed the latest situation in Ivory Coast and put your questions to spokesmen for Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

If you want to join the discussion, you can call country code 44 20 70 83 72 72, text country code 44 77 86 20 60 80, email us, or post here. Thanks for taking part.

Read our original blog post on Africa democracy here, on the latest in Ivory Coast here, and on the potential US government shutdown here.

Click here for other ways to listen to the programme where you are.

 

 

Read the rest of this entry

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

Unless something dramatic happens in the coming hours, the US government is expected to shut down at midnight tonight due to vastly different opinions on what should and what should not be in the federal budget.
The New York Times says it's not about spending it's about abortion and the environment. Rich Lowry from National Review Online has a different take, he says it's about healthcare.

Whatever you believe is stalling decisions on the budget, your opinions on the supposed reasons and of course the repercussions have got you talking. If you want to follow latest developments the twitter hashtag is #govtshutdown

Here's just a smattering of what you are saying:
Kathryn_McGee‎ tweets possible #GovtShutdown is ridiculous!!!! My husband is in the military and serves this country, and we may not get paid! #unacceptable

richdom‎ tweets Is there any reason we can't just stop paying congressmen and defund their health insurance till the govt is working again?

Read the rest of this entry

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

 

It was grim listening on WHYS at 1100GMT as Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, detailed the latest discoveries of bodies in Ivory Coast. (You can listen to the early edition here.)

He told us many hundreds have now died; in one town, Blolequin

"... the human rights investigation team went in by helicopter yesterday and they found the town totally deserted. They described it as a dead town and there were around 40 bodies just lying in the streets."

Read the rest of this entry

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Reddit
• - What's this?

Hi from BBC Television Centre. All week long you've been concerned about the situation in Ivory Coast, and you've wanted two things from WHYS. First, you've wanted to hear the stories of people caught up in the conflict. And second, has been to put your points to the two men at the heart of this crisis. We'll aim to do both on the TV today.

Understandably Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo are both a little busy to join us for an hour on BBC World News, but we've two Europe-based Ivorians to speak with you.

Topla Balliut, a spokesperson for Mr Gbagbo in Paris

Jacques Ndouba , the London representative of PDCI which is one of the political parties supporting Mr Ouattara

They'll both be live on BBC World News at 1500GMT to answer your questions. You can post those queries here, or tweet me with your number if you'd like to come on air.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Reddit
• - What's this?