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Tuesday's agenda

Martin Vennard | 17:15 UK time, Tuesday, 9 October 2007

Our colleagues in South Africa are preparing to discuss the 2010 World Cup from the training ground of one of Africa's most popular football teams, the Kaizer Chiefs.

They will be joined by South African footballers Lucas Radebe, who played for Leeds United, and Sean Bartlett, as well as the former Brazilian player Carlos Pereira.

They also hope to speak to someone from the FIFA delegation, which is currently inspecting the World Cup infrastructure in South Africa.

We'll also be asking, is sport a way of bringing people together in South Africa or does it still divide the nation?

Meanwhile, we're monitoring things from London.

DARFUR

Darfur is back in the headlines after the British government rebel groups from the troubled-Sudanese region they could be excluded from the peace process if they boycott talks due to be held in Libya later this month.

One key rebel faction says it will not enter peace talks until a promised peacekeeping force is deployed.

The warning follows a rebel attack on an African Union base last week and a subsequent follow-up attack by the Sudanese army. Where does this leave the prospects for peace in Sudan?

NIGERIA

An Islamic court in Nigeria has a satirical play written by a rights activist about corrupt politicians in states run under Sharia law.

The play, written by Shehu Sani, makes fun of officials who use Sharia laws to help them plunder state funds. A complaint against it was filed by a pro-Sharia group.

Is the court right to ban the play or should religious groups have more of a sense of humour when it comes to people poking fun at them? What's more important, respecting someone's religious sensibilities or the right to freedom of speech?

MUSLIM DOCTORS

Another similiar story is that of a minority of Muslim trainee doctors in Britain who are to have anything to do with patients with alcohol problems or sexually transmitted diseases, and sometimes even with patients of the opposite sex.

Do doctors have the right to use their religious beliefs as a grounds for refusing to treat someone or should doctors have to treat everyone irrespective of who they are or what they have done?

BLACKWATER

This story was around yesterday, but it still has legs. The Iraqi government has called on the United States to end its co-operation with the private security firm, , within six months.

The government has accused guards from the company of firing randomly at civilians in Baghdad last month, killing seventeen and injuring more than twenty.

It's demanding that Blackwater pay compensation of eight-million dollars to the families of each of the victims. The company says the guards returned fire after being attacked.

Should the US do as asked, or was Blackwater just doing the job it was employed for by the US - protecting diplomats and other foreign workers?

IRAQ AND BRITAIN

Another story that was around yesterday, but that we haven't looked at is Britain's that it is to cut troop numbers in Iraq by around half to 2,500 next spring.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain was able to cut its troop numbers "because the Iraqis are now able to take responsibility for the security themselves".

Is Britain right to do so or should it be keeping its troop numbers up to help the transition and the US military surge?

Mr Brown also announced that local Iraqi staff, including interpreters, who have worked for the British armed forces for more than a year would be able to apply for financial payments to help them resettle elsewhere in Iraq or, "in agreed circumstances", for admission to the UK.

We have talked about this before, with many of the Iraqi workers fearing for their lives because they have helped British troops. Is Britain doing enough to help those who have helped its military operations in the south of Iraq?

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