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Shathani in Botswana said HIV-positive tourists wanting to visit Australia shouldn't be barred, as it would violate their human rights, but every country is entitled to decide on its own immigration policy and should be able to ban immigrants with HIV.

Don Baxter, the executive director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, said it's surprising that Mr Howard didn't know his own government's exisiting policy as it's already very difficult to get into Australia with HIV. It's also counterproductive from a public health point of view as it's giving Australians a false sense of security, as they may believe they can have unprotected sex or share needles.

Shathani said it was unfair to export HIV, but he wouldn't ban HIV-positive people who marry Australians from going to Australia.

Priscilla moved to Florida from UK and was tested for HIV before being allowed to stay there. She said HIV is spreading in the US and she didn't feel she was being singled out. It reassured her and it reflects what happened in the 19th Century to immigrants to the US.

Rob in London is HIV positive. He said he visited the States and lied to the authorities there about his status.

Shathani said it should be a criminal offence to lie about such a matter.

Rob said someone's HIV status as a visitor shouldn't make any difference. But if they are going to another country in the hope of getting treatment that is another matter.

Dr Satvinder Juss, from Kings College London, specialises in International Refugee Law. He said many countries enforce immigration restrictions to protect their own population. But whether an HIV positive person is a threat is a question that still has to be answered. He said HIV continues to be stigmatised and that it's a throwback to past-times to test migrants for such conditions. We should only test for conditions that really represent a threat.

Adam in Portland, Oregon, said Mr Howard was right to suggest such restrictions, whatever their justification.

Lou in New York said two of his relatives have died as a result of AIDS, but that every nation had the sovereign right to do such things. He thinks if people want to enter another country they may pass it on to others there. It would be different if they wore signs warning of their status, he said.

Don said it was bad policy as Australia is suffering a labour shortage and such a blanket ban would reduce the number of people who can enter the country.

Lou said letting people with a "death sentence" on them into another country would only create problems.

Arun in Mumba, India, said Mr Howard was very much within his rights.

We received many emails on the matter.

Ben in London, UK

I have a friend who's Australian, and has lived in the UK since 1996, since when she caught HIV from a boyfriend. In this time, she's done huge amounts of voluntary work for people affected by HIV and AIDS, and is an inspiration to me and others. Does this mean she's not allowed back to see her family in Australia, or carry on her work there? As for John Howard, the sooner he goes, the better...he makes George Bush look like a statesman!

Abi in Portland Oregon

Australia's ideas about banning the migration of people with HIV is barbaric, whether they have the right to do it or not. Maybe they think they should ban some one with physical disabilities whose life will not be very productive, or what about people with other diseases, such as TB ? The lack of compassion shown by this decision disgusts me. People with HIV need our care not our scorn.

JB wrote

If people are going to be denied entrance because of HIV, then are Aussie citizens going to have to leave Australia?

Jessica, CA, wrote

I am appalled by the man who suggested that people with HIV should wear a bracelet to identify their illness.. Perhaps he should wear a bracelet to identify himself as being ignorant so people can avoid him.

Kim in USA

Why should a foreigner with HIV have to wear a bracelet and those who live in the US shouldn't? Is it okay to spread a disease as long as you are a citizen?

Jeremy in Brussels

Tell Lou that perhaps HIV negative people should wear a bracelet telling everyone that they are not a threat.

Jason, Portland, Oregon

A bracelet or a badge? Perhaps like a Jewish star? This is just another form of discrimination. Australia is wrong with this!

We received many messages saying Paul Wolwowitz should resign as head of the World Bank for helping his girlfriend get a promotion and big pay rise.

On China and Japan

Charlie, a Chinese man in London, said the Chinese prime minister was right to visit Japan and try and improve relations.

Y. Shimizu in Tokyo said the visit was welcome, but many Japanese people had mixed feelings about the two countries' relations.

Charlie said he would like to visit Japan to check it out and that Chinese people have complicated feelings towards Japan because of the Japanese invasions of the 20th Centuries, but they also have positive feelings to the Japanese.

Mr Shimizu said he had been to China several times and loved it. The two countries have a very similar culture.

Charlie said most Chinese people wanted the Japanese government to face up to history.
Mr Shimizu said there is a lot of misunderstanding between the two, as Japan has apologised many times for what has happened.

Sussana, a Chinese woman in Edmonton, Canada, said the visit was welcome.

Mirek Kondracki, in Poland, said relations between the two countries will be determined by mutual interests. The threats in the region and Chinese re-armament are two issues that will decide on their relations.

Yuhei, a Japanese man in London, said the relations need to be improved.

Mr Shimizu said Japan gives lots of economic aid, but in return they get a nuclear threat and Chinese submarines in the surrounding seas.

Charlie said Japanese government ministers should stop visiting a war shrine, that some Chinese people see as glorifying Japan's military past.

The Gene debate

Professor Mark McCarthy, from Oxford University, said they used new technology and found that people with two copies of a particular gene were about 3kg heavier on average than others and 70 per cent more likely to be fat

Maria in Munich said the research is at an early stage, and asked, Where were all the obese people 20 years ago? Is obesity not due to our lifestyle?

Mark said the gene is just one of the factors and lifestyle is tremendously important, and other genes may also be involved.

Lucie in Manchester, UK, is slightly overweight and her friend lost more weight when they followed the same diets and the research helps explains that.

Nathalie in Nottingham, UK, has lost about 50 kg since the beginning of 2006, and said some people may use the research as an excuse for not trying to lose weight.

Mark said the gene may also contribute to higher cases of diabetes and other conditions.

Alex in Rockville, Canada, said eating too much and not exercising enough are the main reasons for being overweight.

Chris in the UK said it is luck that he's thin. Some people have genes that allow them to stay that way, but the genetic factor may mask the lifestyle one.

Mark said the "fat" gene could not be switched off. He said he hoped the discovery may lead to drug treatments that can help conditions related to weight. He said the discovery means there's a responsibility to avoid attitudes of guilt about being overweight.

We also had many emails about the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ correspondent Alan Johnston, who went missing in the Gaza Strip, and is believed to have been abducted, just over a month ago. They were calling for his release.