Newsline 18 August 2009: Afghans prepare to vote amid Taliban threats and fears of fraud; Pakistan struggles to provide security and good governance one year after the departure of former president Pervez Musharaff, and robots - love them or fear them, they're here to stay.

Karzai rallies support
Afghanistan is preparing to vote in presidential elections on Thursday, amid threats of violence from the Taliban, and reports of fraud and corruption involving the selling of voting cards. Sitting President Hamid Karzai is hoping to win a second term but there are growing fears about the controversial nature of some of his closest allies, especially the notorious former warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum. Listen to an interview with RNW Afghanistan specialist Bette Dam.

Post-Musharaff Pakistan no better off
It's a year since former Pakistani president Pervez Musharaff resigned in the face of threatened impeachment. Since then security has worsened and the government has faltered. So why did the controversial leader's ouster fail to improve the country's situation?

We robot
Man has always had an ambivalent relationship with robots. On the one hand, the more they can help with the housework the better. On the other, make them too intelligent and they might, just might, take control. We get up close and personal with robots at the NEMO Science Centre in Amsterdam.

Listen to today's programme: