Following the controversial death sentence given to Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi for blasphemy, Samosa contributor Faisal Shakeel looks at the parlous conditions facing the Christian minority in Pakistan.

By Nick Lowles

Last week Det Supt John Larkin, head of the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, told the BBC that the activities of the English Defence League were pushing young Muslims towards Islamic extremist groups. His words echoed my recent blog where I said that the EDL and Muslims Against Crusades needed each other to justify their own existence - they were two sides of the same coin. It is a position you agreed with. Over 1,100 of you filled in our survey last week and 96% agreed with my analysis. Only 2% disagreed.

By Pat Thane

As Polly Toynbee and David Walker round off their running audit of Labour’s record, Pat Thane considers the many ‘good things’ Labour governments achieved and the weaknesses that undermined them.

It seems strangely long ago, when all we had to worry about were the shortcomings of an often well-meaning Labour government. This comprehensive survey of Labour’s performance from 1997 -2010 only reinforces puzzlement about why they couldn’t build more successfully on the good things and stay in office.

By Joss Garman

NASA has announced that this year is the hottest year so far, just as climate scientists predicted it would be. This has been accompanied by the fastest decline in Arctic sea ice in satellite records, and other extreme weather events around the world, many of which were also predicted by climate scientists.

It is against this backdrop that one of Britain’s most prominent climate change ‘sceptics’ has admitted he’s driven by “ideological war”. Many of you will be familiar with James Delingpole, seen here with our prime minister in a former life. He now writes regularly for The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator.

By Irfan Husain

It is amazing to see the bizarre contortions governments can put themselves through in the name of national pride. This time, the Chinese government has written officially to several European governments, asking them not to participate in the ceremonies surrounding the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Sweden next month.

By Claire Spencer

Loud whispers have been emerging from last night’s meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, as MPs turned on deputy leader Harriet Harman for her strong public stance on Phil Woolas. Woolas was convicted of lying to voters during the campaign to retain his parliamentary seat of Oldham & Saddleworth. He has since reported his intention to seek a judicial review.