John Kerry, one of America's most respected and foremost political figures, joins Connect the World Thursday to discuss Afghanistan and the threat posed by climate change.

The Democrat Senator from Massachusetts is best known for his bid for the White House in 2004, when he was defeated by incumbent president George W. Bush. In January 2008 Kerry endorsed fellow Democrat Barack Obama in his successful campaign to assume the Oval Office. What would you ask John Kerry?

Kerry, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, has brought his long-standing experience – a decorated war veteran, he saw active service in Vietnam – to the national debate about the Afghan conflict.

In this week's Wall Street Journal he urged caution on calls to deploy more troops, saying that the United States has to also consider the possibility of a "well-honed counter-terrorism strategy" as well as defining how it plans to exit the conflict.

"Before we send more of our young men and women to this war, we need a fuller debate about what constitutes success in Afghanistan," Kerry wrote

Kerry is also campaigning, along with fellow Democrat senator Barbara Boxer, for the adoption of a climate bill, known as the "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act."

The legislation seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions during the next decade, encourage sustainable farming and provide incentives for natural gas and nuclear power production.

John Kerry will be joining CNN's Becky Anderson on Thursday: post your comments below and we will use some of them in the show.

LONDON, England – Join presenter Becky Anderson and the Connect the World team this Thursday, Oct. 1, for another live post-show text chat - via Skype - with CNN viewers and Web users.

This is your chance to connect directly with Becky and the team to discuss Thursday's show.

This week we will be looking at the global gathering of them all - the Olympic Games. In Copenhagen tomorrow the International Olympic Committee will choose from Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo to host the 2016 summer Olympic Games.

Who do you think deserves to see the torch lit in their city in seven years time? Is your hometown worthy of staging the Olympics? Which cities have never held the honor – but deserves their stab at sporting glory?

If you want to have your say then make sure you join in with Thursday’s chat.

The Connect the World live chat is powered by Skype and it’s free to sign up — all you need to take part is a Skype username.

Just click on the link from the Connect the World homepage.

If you have problems accessing the chat, please make sure you are using the latest version of Skype or check the Skype help pages.

The actor best known for his portrayal of suave British spy James Bond, Roger Moore is leading the fight against the production of a food stuff his movie alter ego would have loved to accompany his favorite tipple, a Martini - shaken not stirred of course.

Moore, who appeared in seven Bond movies from 1973 to 1985, is leading the fight against foie gras, which is made from the enlarged liver of a duck or goose.

According to campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the animals involved in the process are force-fed for the pate, and have branded the process "naked cruelty."

It is the latest in a long line of causes the actor, who became an international superstar after appearing in cult series The Saint, has become involved with.

Formally trained as an actor, Moore's interpretation of the Bond role saw him portray the 007 character as a playboy with a light touch.

However his onscreen presence belies a serious side to his character. For almost a quarter of a century he has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

What do you want to ask Roger? Send us your questions and we'll put them to him during the show on Wednesday.

(CNN) – After lashing the Philippines for several days, Typhoon Ketsana has now turned its focus on Vietnam.

Ketsana left at least 246 people dead as it passed over the Philippines. Another 38 people are still missing, according to the nation's National Disaster Coordinating Council.

Nearly two million people have been affected by the killer storm and 567,000 people had been evacuated.

Read more about the story here.

Ketsana comes only weeks after the region was ravaged by another storm –- Typhoon Morakot – which claimed the lives of almost 400 people in Taiwan.

The island’s premiere Liu Chao-shiuan tendered his resignation after coming under fire for reacting slowly to the crisis. The storm triggered mudslides that wiped out entire villages in mountainous regions of southern Taiwan.

Now the Filipino government is trying to face down criticism it too was caught unprepared by a storm that left almost 80 percent of its capital, Manila, under water at one point on Sunday.

While there’s an obvious argument for greater preparedness in a region prone to tropical storms, the ferocity of the typhoons may indicate something altogether more difficult to legislate for – climate change.

Scientists around the globe are looking closely at all the evidence associated with global warming to come up with predictions for our future environment and weather.

They speculate over whether we're likely to see an increase in sea levels or an increase in flooding, and wonder what can be done to protect those most at risk.

Is it fair for the likes of  Taiwan and the Philippines to be criticized for their response to events possibly symptomatic of a problem we’re all responsible for?

Tell us what you think and we will use some of your comments in the show.

The secret to defeating Islamic extremists may well lie in targeting the Muslim world's ever increasing middle class.

That is just one of the many theories put forward in a new book by one of the world's most distinguished Middle Eastern commentators.

As an academic and scholar, the opinions and thoughts of Vali Nasr are sought by politicians the world over.

In his latest book “Forces of Fortune,” he suggests many solutions to the problems that have beset relations between Muslim countries and the West.

A senior advisor to the Obama administration, this is your opportunity to send questions to one of the most respected thinkers of our time.

What do you want to ask Vali Nasr? Send us your questions and we'll put them to him during the show on Tuesday.

LONDON, England - It’s time for “Six Degrees” — our weekly challenge for Connect the World viewers and Web users.

Here’s how to play: We choose two people in the news this week and ask you to connect them through the six steps.

In this week’s challenge we want you to connect Angela Merkel, who's just been elected German Chancellor for a second time, to golfer Phil Mickelson, who's won the U.S. Tour championship.

You need to come up with five other people between those two for a total of six links.

Leave your submissions in the comments section below, and the team will pick the most creative connection, and I’ll announce the winner on Friday’s show.

Need some inspiration? Check out last week’s winner, Dany Pelligrino, who connected tennis star Justine Henin to former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin.

Here’s how he did it:

- Justine Henin beat Serena Williams in the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2007.

- Williams has appeared on "America's Next Top Model" hosted by Tyra Banks…

- Who has also interviewed model Iman…

- Who starred alongside Steve Martin in "L.A. Story".

- Martin also appeared in the film "Baby Mama" starring Tina Fey…

- Who returned to "Saturday Night Live" last year with a dead-on impersonation of - and on one show appeared alongside - former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Remember: you need five other people between those two: no more, no less. If you want your friends to take the challenge as well, then click the “share post” button below.

To see previous challenges, click here. Happy connecting!

Hollywood has few dramas to match the life of Oscar-winning film-maker Roman Polanski, detained in Switzerland on a 31-year arrest warrant for rape.

Polanski's mother died in a concentration camp. He spent several years homeless in 1940s and 1950s Europe. When he received critical acclaim in the 1960s for his early features, Hollywood beckoned. He married actress Sharon Tate – who was then butchered by the infamous Manson family in 1969. He fled to Europe after he pleaded guilty in 1977 to the rape of a 13-year old girl.

Last week Polanski's past caught up with him within the space of a few days. Susan Atkins, who murdered Tate, died in a California prison from brain cancer. The next day Polanski was detained after being served with an extradition warrant by Swiss authorities.

Should Polanski be sent back to America? Or should the extradition case against him be dropped?

The film industry has already begun to petition for his Polanski's release, with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and Cannes Film Festival boss Thierry Fremaux leading the charge. His cause has also been served by Samantha Geimer, his victim, calling for the case to be thrown out; and French culture minister Frederic Mitterand, who has said that he is "deeply shocked" by the detention.

There is clearly sympathy with Polanski from several quarters. Many, including Polanski himself, allege the judge in the original case, who has since died, reneged on a plea bargain. Has Polanski not suffered enough, his defenders argue, both in his personal life and with his absence from Hollywood?

Amid the pleas and mitigation remain several facts. That Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. That he fled before sentencing. And that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office is still interested enough to spend time and money, three decades later, to have him returned to California.

 Would the interests of justice be served by Polanski being returned to the United States? Or should he be allowed to go free? Tell us what you think and we will use some of your comments in the show.

Before he had even reached his teenage years, Emmanuel Jal had witnessed more horror than most people will see in a lifetime.

As a child soldier in Sudan during the 1980s he learned to fight and kill in training camps masquerading as schools. He still does not know how exactly old he is: only that he was taken from his family at an early age.

In his early teens he was plucked from this living nightmare by a British aid worker. While studying in Kenya he developed a love of music and discovered he had immense ability as a songwriter and performer.

Nowadays he is a successful hip-hop artist with three albums under his belt. His music appeared in the Leonardo DiCaprio move "Blood Diamond" and he took the stage at both "Live 8" and Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations.

But he hasn't forgotten his formative years, using his music as a force for good as he campaigns for peace and children's rights.

What do you want to ask Emmanuel Jal? Send us your questions and we'll put them to him during the show on Monday

(CNN) - The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for nuclear disarmament - a move hailed by U.S. President Barack Obama as significant step.

Obama, the first U.S. President to chair a Security Council meeting, has said that the United States will play a key role in disarmament, seeking an arms reduction treaty with Russia.

"We harbor no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said.

The U.N. resolution comes at a time of growing concern among Western nations over nuclear proliferation, particularly among countries such as Iran and North Korea.

On Thursday's Connect The World, we will look at why nuclear power is back on the agenda. Tell us what you think about the move: Do you think it is a step forward? Is it realistic?

LONDON, England - It’s time for “Six Degrees” — our weekly challenge for Connect the World viewers and Web users.

Here’s how to play: We choose two people in the news this week and ask you to connect them through the six steps.

In this week’s challenge we want to connect tennis star Justine Henin, who made her return to the sport this week, to U.S. former vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, who made her debut in Hong Kong.

You need to come up with five other people between those two for a total of six links.

Leave your submissions in the comments section below, and the team will pick the most creative connection, and I’ll announce the winner on Friday’s show.

Need some inspiration? Check out last week’s winner Troy Barrett, who managed to link fashionista Victoria Beckham with “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown.

Here’s how he did it…

Victoria Beckham is married to…

David Beckham, who, upon moving to Los Angeles with his family, was thrown a welcoming party in 2007 which was attended by…

Tom Cruise, who is a Scientologist, along with…

John Travolta, who starred in “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D,” a documentary that also featured a role voiced by…

Rita Wilson, who is married to…

Tom Hanks, who starred in “The Da Vinci Code,” a book written by…

Dan Brown.

Remember: you need five other people between those two: no more, no less. If you want your friends to take the challenge as well, then click the “share post” button below.

To see previous challenges, click here. Happy connecting!