麻豆社

Rhod Sharp with stories from around the world.

Violence has continued in Cairo, just as the Egyptian cabinet offers to resign. Demonstrations are starting up in Alexandria too. We speak to two protesters, one in Cairo and one in Alexandria, plus our correspondent Yolande Knell to put the recent violence and political moves into context. And we hear from Amnesty International who've just published a new report saying they have evidence of human rights abuses in Egypt.

After two months of talks, six Republicans and six Democrats have failed to come up with a plan to cut the US debt. They were known as the super committee - but Mark Wiesbrot from the Centre for Economic and Policy Research thinks they were anything but. President Obama isn't happy either.

The battle to stop people smoking has taken a new twist in Australia. Big tobacco companies are suing the Australian government, which has ruled that all cigarettes will have to be sold in plain packaging. We hear from Anne Edwards from Philip Morris, then Senator Richard Di Natale, the Australian Green Party's spokesperson for health. Naturally they disagree.

Fog has made an unwelcome return to the UK - but what exactly is it? We speak to Philip Eden who gives us the scientific definition, and explains why it happens at this time of year.

And the Hay literary Festival has arrived in Bangladesh, so that British and Bangladeshi authors can share their ideas. We hear from the Bangladeshi author, Tahmima Anam, and the Welsh writer Jon Gower.