大象传媒

We're off air now, but you can listen again here.

That was what Rose from Virginia said around twenty minutes into yesterday's show. The effect was instant. We got more emails about that one comment than on all the other stories on the show. We were talking about the Virginia Tech massacre but Rose's point was a far broader one. You clearly wanted to talk about it, so today we will.

Would your country be a safer and more respectful place if everyone was armed? Here are today's other stories...

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One obvious topic that we could look at today is the legacy of Princess Diana. It's the 10th anniversary of her death and ceremonies are taking place in London and elsewhere to mark the occasion.

A number of stories surrounding the event have arisen. Prince Charles's new wife, Camilla, is not attending the ceremony in London, despite having been invited by Diana's sons.

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We're off air now. But carry on posting your comments on the blog and keep the debate going.

Welcome to the WHYS Daily Email to Thabit in Kampala, Jon in Kentucky, Rashid in Kuala Lumpur and Lynne in Portugal.

Now if Paul from the WHYS team had his way, the subject of this post would be 'are we prejudiced against blonde people?' He's convinced this is a major talking point, but unfortunately most of us weren't. He'd be very happy for you to put us right.

Here are the stories that have made it....

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Take a look at these two women. Would you treat one differently from the other?

Anna Blundy certainly thinks so. She "It is time someone spoke out against the vicious discrimination casually meted out to blonde women in all areas of life."

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Good morning. Some thought my headlines were getting a bit long so I am trying to be briefer.

Officials at Virginia Tech university in the US might have saved lives if they had acted sooner after the first shootings by student Cho Seung-hui, who killed 32 people in April in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history, a has said.

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We're off air now, but you can listen again here.

Hi everyone, Anu here.

It's hump-day, hope your week has been as great as mine. Not one to set the bar too high, I've managed to get to the gym once and am still paying the price! But that was compensated yesterday by the first glimpse of my just-turned-orange pumpkins... Can't believe winter is nearly here...!

Re-hab
Are you as bewitched by 's voice as I am? Why is it that such a talented young singer is spiralling into a heroin-induced breakdown? One British columnist called her drug problems and the awful self-harm 'the biggest waste of female musical talent...'

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President Bush has warned Iran to stop supporting militants fighting against US forces in Iraq. He said he had authorised US military commanders in Iraq to confront what he called "Tehran's murderous activities."

Shortly after Mr Bush made his speech to veterans in Washington, US troops arrested a group of at a hotel in Baghdad.

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John in Oregon has sent this to me... let him know what you think.... I found it very thought-provoking.

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Now here's a stat for you - exactly 300 of you receiving this WHYS Daily Email have a address. I also have one, as does every member of my immediate family, and most of my friends. I don't need to look up the figures to know that is one of the biggest web-based email providers in the business. That's not to mention the vast array of other . A lot of us use Yahoo! which is probably why this story has hit a nerve...

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We are planning to look at Afghanistan today and the United Nations , which says the production of opium, the raw material for heroin, has reached record levels.

The report says growing opium poppies is now closely linked to the insurgency and the instability in the south of Afghanistan.

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We're off air now, but you can listen again here.

I hope you had a good weekend. Mine featured more tile shops than would have been ideal, but I'm not sure visits to the Old Kent Road qualify as a major global talking point.

Just as I'm beginning to write this Reuters is flashing this 'U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES RESIGNS - U.S. OFFICIAL TELLS REUTERS'. You may well want to comment on that.

Here are today's topics...

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Opium production is because, says the Afghanistan ambassador to the UN, the Taliban is destabilising the south. But didn't the US and its allies invade six years ago to remove the Taliban's influence?

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I hope you all had a good weekend, or are still having a good one, if, as in most of Britain, today is public holiday.

As I wrote on Friday, we are planning to look at some of the alternative theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks in Washington and the United States.

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We're off air now, but you can listen again here and don't forget to post your comments.

FRIDAY'S SHOW
To mark the end of "London Calling Week" on the 大象传媒 World Service, we're teaming up and simulcasting LIVE with four radio stations in London, Toronto, Sydney and New York...and asking which of these is the most successful multicultural city.

Each station in each city will get equal time to convince the world why they should be awarded the honour. They'll have guests and callers from their local area. At the end of the debate, we'll ask four of our regular listeners to be judge and jury, and state - if they had to move - which city they would relocate to.

Fighting for the English capital is 大象传媒 London's Eddie Nestor and Kath Melandri.
Pressing the case for Toronto is .
In Sydney, is in charge.
Batting for New York is .

Who should win, and why? Post your comments now.

I hope you are having a good weekend. On Monday we are planning to talk about some of the alternative theories surrounding the September 11th attacks in the United States.

They may be a minority, but a significant number of people do not believe the official version of what happened on that day in 2001, that hijacked airliners were flown into buildings in New York and Washington.

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We're off air now but you could follow the debate here...

Welcome to Robert in the Philippines, Li in Hong Kong, Scott in Australia and David in Oregon - all have signed up to the Daily Email. Scott impressively stays up til 3 in the morning to listen every day, which would mean some sort of WHYS medal Scott if we made them. I'm all ears for more stories of WHYS commitment. We'll take all the flattery we can get.

Here are today's stories...

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It's the comparison George Bush avoided making at all costs. The Iraq war and Vietnam. have been drawing comparisons for sometime now, but Bush himself used Vietnam as an example of why US troops shouldn't leave Iraq - because it could trigger the kind of upheaval seen after US forces left Vietnam:

Many argued that if we pulled out, there would be no consequences for the Vietnamese people. The world would learn just how costly these misimpressions would be. Three decades later, there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left... Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens...

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I've just added all of you who asked to be added to the Daily Email list while I was away. So thanks for your patience while I sorted that. A special hello to Uzondu in Monrovia who's just signed up and who runs an Internet center where he plays WHYS on the radio, forcing his customers to listen. There's really no excuse for not posting on the blog if you're there.

We're a one subject programme today....

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We upset Cindy Sheehan last night.
She told Paul, our producer at the Heathrow studio that she felt "ambushed" by our putting her on air with Sue, a woman with sons serving in Iraq. The reason Cindy felt " ambushed" was because she had agreed to do the interview with us on condition she wasn't to speak to another "gold star" mother.
Now, i'm sorry if Cindy feels we haven't treated her fairly- as you know from the "contributor's charter", the last thing i want to do is make people feel their experience with WHYS wasn't a good one.
But i'll try to explain what goes on....

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Good Morning,

Ever heard of the term "silly season"? It springs to mind around this time of year when looking for talking points for an international news discussion programme. I've read three studies in the newspapers already that highlight silly season pretty well - , , and my personal favourite about a . I'm not sure why either.....

So, here's a more serious look at what could make the cut today...

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We're off Air now, but you can keep posting comments below..just follow the debate here:

I hope you're all keeping well. I have a tan and a couple of pounds to show for my two weeks in France. Much as I like the beach, wine and cheese, it's very nice to be back in London and at WHYS. Even the drizzle is strangely comforting.

Here's today's stories...

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World Have Your Say featured on last Sunday's Over to You, the World Service's platform for audiences to quiz programme makers. The Big Man himself was interviewed as was Anu, fresh off the guerrilla broadcast from Green St. east London.

Listen here.

Hurricane Dean, not content with the destruction it caused in the Caribbean yesterday, , having hit the "potentially catastrophic" category 5 mark. I heard a very optimistic sounding Cancun resident on the radio this morning tell how the resort is more than prepared for the storm to hit.

I'm sure we'll try and and talk to people there to see if they are. What else would you like to hear about today?

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We're just three days away from our simulcast show. If you haven't seen our plans yet, click here.

大象传媒 London has confirmed its plans - check them out here

In the lead-up to the show, we've asked bloggers to tell us why their city should be crowned champion. Last week it was the turn of London blogger, Owen Powell. Now it's over to Jen Chung from influential NYC blog, ...

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As from today, you will be able to listen at your leisure, enjoy World Have Your Say on the move, carry Ros, Anu, and sometimes even Peter Dobbie around in your pocket everywhere you go.

For Gary, Deanna, Andrew and all the rest of you who have asked about a World Have Your Say podcast, your wait is nearly over. For those of you less technically informed, who have no idea what a podcacst is, here's a quote I liked from the in-house training guide which should make things a little clearer.....

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Morning / afternon / evening. Peter Dobbie here with news of today World Have Your Say from the 大象传媒 World Service. This is your chance to get on the air, and tell us what you think about the big news stories of the day.

Hurricane Dean gets angry...

Well today we're trying for something a little bit out of the ordinary. Given the events around Jamaica we're trying for a link up with a local radio station. Jamaica has taken a battering from Hurricane Dean, being hit by severe winds and heavy rain as the storm passed south of the island overnight. The Category Four storm is pushing winds of up to 145mph -- that's 230kmh. A Jamaican reporter told the 大象传媒 that many people who had chosen to remain in their homes were forced to get out -- such was the severity of the storm. Dean is now expected to pass close by the low-lying Cayman Islands, before hitting Mexico. Dean has already claimed at least six lives in the eastern Caribbean.

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Well, Anna is our podcast supremo and only she holds the golden knowledge. She has kindly agreed to train everyone else up today and will post here later. We've already had an e-mail froma listener in Australia who is very glad he doesn't have to stay up until 3.30 in the morning to hear us. I yield to no-one in my admiration of people who manage to beat the odds to hear us and i consider Lubna and Abdelilla to be like friends even though i've never met them, but i am always bowled over by our Aussie listeners.

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Welcome to the start of another week. It's the time of day when we want to hear what you think would make a talking point on tonight's World Have Your Say. e-Mail us if you'd like to contribute.

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Lord, Allah, Yahweh, Bhagwan? Does it matter how you address God?

Dutch Roman Catholic Bishop Martinus 'Tiny' Muskens of Breda says Christians should address God as Allah to promote unity with Muslims. "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn鈥檛 we all say that from now on we will call God Allah?鈥� Bishop Muskens said in an interview on Monday. 鈥淕od doesn鈥檛 care what we call him.鈥� He points out that in Arabic, the word for God is 'Allah' and that Arabic-speaking Christians already use the word.

What do you think about his suggestion? Are we all Allah's children?

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We're just a week from our ambitious simulcast show. If you're unaware of our plans, click here.

WNYC are gearing up for the battle. Leonard Lopate's in the hot-seat. Check out .

We've also found out that not only will the show be broadcast on 702 ABC Sydney, but it will air across all of Australia on the ABC radio network. Check out .

And don't forget you can add your thoughts to the discussion right here.

Hello. I was down at the South Bank yesterday, helping out on the outside broadcast. We're out every day this week - you can listen again to last night's show here.

Got any suggestions for where we should be for tonight's show, and what stories we should be looking at? Call us +44 207 557 0635 and join our morning meeting, or send us a message - details are on the right ---------->>>.

A Catholic bishop in the Netherlands has suggested , instead of God, as a means of relieving tensions with Muslims. Tiny Muskens says people shouldn't be worried what "God" is called, as long as people believe in a higher being. So, does God's name matter? It's certainly , shall we look into it today?...

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Here's a few words from Anu, who is at the Southbank Centre for today's show...

One for the money....
So today's World Have Your Say comes from outside the National Film Theatre on the south bank of the river Thames here in London, where a major retrospective of Elvis Presley films are being shown tonight!

Why on earth is Elvis still the top grossing (ok, dead) music star?? Why are there Pakistani, Chinese and Romanian men willing to don tight sequined flares and a silly black wig to look and sound like the King? And the biggest question of all, where did you last see Elvis?

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Some of the team - led by Fiona - are on their way down to the South Bank to find a venue for the programme. We decided based on your responses to look at the . We want to hear from investors all around the world on whether you have faith in the people handling your money.
And what is the lasting appeal of Elvis, 30 years after he finally left the building ?
We'll be somewhere on the other side of the river as the a night of the films of the King..and we'll be overlooking the City, where as things stand, a lot of money is being wiped off the value of shares...

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If you're a keen listener ( and i hope you all are ) you'll have noticed we've left the studio this week. We did a programme from Heathrow on Monday (sample e-mail response ; "we only usually have to put up with people shouting at each other on your programme , now i have to listen to planes taking off too " ), and i though that maybe we should try to do every day at a different venue.

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Today China (town), tomorrow the world.

I promise it's not our lust for food that's driving us to China Town in London today. Though after the great snacks on Green Street, I certainly won't say no to those yummy staples of London Chinese restaurants: dim sum and crispy fried duck. Wherever you are in the world, there's no doubting the influence of cheap Chinese-made goods. In India, practically everything-- including Hindu idols and that very symbol of Indian womanhood, saris-- are now made in China. Well, after the recall in the US of more than 18 million toys high in lead paint, authorities in China have ordered an investigation.

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Hello. Wednesday on WHYS and first a question to get you thinking.

Who is the leader of the Muslim world? Recently, during in Iran - a leading Muslim theologist said:

"One of the main problems of Muslim world is their lack of solidarity. Enemies want to use this as a tool for ruling over them. It is necessary for Shiites and Sunnis to avoid differences and unite under Islam."

Would differences be overcome with the introduction of one leader - on earth - uniting all Muslims. Would a caliphate across the Muslim world work? Who would be the Caliph or head of state? We've touched on this concept earlier this week, so what do you think?

Some other topics we're interested in...

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This from Anu on today's show....

Well, today's programme came to you from my beloved neighborhood here in London. Green Street always puts a smile on my face. I buy the best Alphonso mangoes in the summer from Mr. Patel who runs one of the many greengrocers...my favorite place for Lahori biryani is Ruby's, where they cook their naan bread in a real tandoor (clay) oven and the decor is definitely dhaba (canteen)! There are several mosques, a Hindu temple and a Sikh Gurudwara, all within a quarter of a mile of each other. You can buy pistachio kulfi (ice cream) on the street and finish it off with a nice hand-made paan (filled betel leaf). Green Street is Delhi... and Lahore... and Dhaka. It's filled with the patois of Jullundhar, Karachi and Sylhet. It's a burst of home away from home with its piles of sequined leather sandals, dancing Sikh dolls (like Santa, but in turbans), snacks cooking on the sidewalk in vast, blackened vats.....and piles of pink Lux soap.

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Preparations are well underway for an ambitious edition of WHYS on 24th August. As part of the 大象传媒 World Service's "London Week", we're asking: Is London the best role model for a multicultural city?

We're simulcasting with four other radio stations, in cities which claim to have the most successful example of multiculturalism.

We've asked each city to find us a blogger who loves his/her town, and to post a few lines for us. First up is London - Owen Powell is from ...

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Hello and welcome to Tuesday's World Have Your Say. We had a fair response yesterday to the idea of talking about a Muslim caliphate. But, in the end we decided to take the opportunity of broadcasting LIVE from Heathrow - you can listen again here.

So onto today - and celebrations are under way across Pakistan to and the creation of the country. Fireworks lit up the sky and crowds filled the streets as clocks struck midnight in the capital, Islamabad. India marks independence tomorrow. We're thinking of getting an Indian, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi to speak to us - and one another - and give us a sense of the significance of the partition and what it means 60 years on. Does partition underscore Pakistan's present political crisis? Who would you like to hear from?...

Other topics of interest...

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Today we discussed a topic that probably touches most of us in some way or another.

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Hello and welcome to the start of another week on World Have Your Say. Lots of good talking points today. You thoughts - as ever - please. And if you want to join our meeting with your own idea, call +44 207 557 0635 and we'll call you straight back.

Is a single Muslim state viable? Over the weekend, at a football stadium in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, to discuss the re-establishment of an Islamic Caliphate - a form of governence which aims to represent Muslims worldwide. The Islamist political group, organised the conference - an organisation that is banned in a number of countries. Would a Caliphate work today? And how would it be implemented across so many different denominations?

What else is grabbing our attention?...

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Is Pirate Radio Dead?
It all started in Denmark in 1958... then it spread to Luxembourg, then Britain... and then in one form or another, from Jamaica to Cuba to Serbia to South America, 'pirate' or 'free' radio stations, broadcasting without a license, changed the politics and music of their generation. 40 years ago, Britain finally shut down its pirate radio stations and the 大象传媒 absorbed the pioneering djs who first brought a steady stream of popular music to the masses. The last station to go off-air, Radio Caroline, which at its peak attracted up to 15 million listeners, is staging a temporary comeback this week, broadcasting from a ship moored a few miles off the Essex coast. The playlist will stay faithful to the time - only songs from 1964-67 will be played, and in their original vinyl format. News will be read out in bulletin point style, and jingles will be sung as they were.

Have you ever been a fan of pirate radio? Is it still a force for change? Or has the power of the airwaves to shape our thoughts, tastes and morals died? Email us.

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The 大象传媒 World Service is launching "London Week" between 18-25th August. Seven days of special programming dedicated to showcasing the best of the capital city we broadcast from.

World Have Your Say is attempting something ambitious on 24th August. London, Sydney, New York and Toronto all claim to be the world's most multicultural city - but who is right? We decided to find out. So we're simulcasting with four radio stations in each of these cities...

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Good morning from the WHYS outpost at Television Centre in West London.

Today my WHYS colleagues at Bush House in Central London are leaving our very small office there as the builders come in to refurbish it.

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We're off air now, but you can listen again to Thursday's programme here.

I've only been to Moscow once, and as any visitor to the city would probably say, it's far from the concrete Communist monstrosity you might expect. In fact, Moscow is elegant, pretty and majestic. I wasn't there long enough to get to grips with the Russian character, but certainly, from far away, Russia does often seem proud to the point of intransigence, and sometimes, belligerence.

In May this year, Russia tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile system and a recent Russian submarine expedition to the North Pole saw Russia plant a flag on the seabed. Litvinenko... alleged attacks on Georgia... threats of cutting off oil & gas to Europe.... Is Russia right to flex its muscles? If you're Russian, do you feel your country deserves more respect? Do you feel President Putin speaks for you? ...

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Good morning world.

As my colleague Paul Coletti wrote earlier this week we are planning to debate today whether a newly-confident and energy-rich Russia is now flexing its muscles on the world stage.

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Hi guys - Anu here.

Needless to say, it was another raucous World Have Your Say morning meeting today...read Paul's post about it. Mark and Priya say we should also talk about Russia. And Mark wants to know if you're interested in talking about baseball player Barry Bonds as well as who's the bigger name worldwide: Tiger Woods or David Beckham...? And we were wondering if you think it's right for politicians to use their children in their campaigns?

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Tiger Woods was voted ultimate sports star in poll entitled Who's Now? (not surprising as it was a US-based poll). However, the very modest Woods Beckham should get the award: "As far as global figures, he's probably far more global than I am."

We'd like to know your nominations for who's now in the world of sport?

We had two chunky topics from yesterday saved up for today both of which have been simmering nicely overnight.

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Here's another idea to throw into the pot for today.. (for the rest have a look below at my )

There has been a spate of stories lately about Russia... with , coming hotly on the heels of the news of the patriotic , which many say is Russia's attempt to claim large parts of the oil, gas and mineral resources that lie underneath.

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Hello! Yes, its true! It's really happening.. Priya Shah is back! Now I'm sure you have all been feeling my absence, I know the WHYS team certainly have. I decided to go off to Spain for 8 months for 'research purposes', and before you start grumbling, remember "the rain in Spain falls mainly..." where? Thats right "..in the plains" and where was I? In the plains. Great.

Ok, enough of the emotional return, back to the important stuff, I'm in sunny old West London looking around for the stories and debates that you want to talk about. Any ideas? Read on for a few of mine....

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We're off air now..we had a really good response to today's debate. Take a look at the comments...and keep posting your thoughts.

Morning / afternoon / evening. Peter Dobbie here with news of today's World Have Your Say, on 大象传媒 World Service radio at 17:00 GMT

Should the forthcoming Olympics be political, or rather should it be politicised and used as a campaigning tool to help sort out the world's problems. This is pretty important right now because the Beijing Olympics are just a year away and a gold (and silver) medal winning U.S athlete has been ruffling a few feathers. Joey Cheek hand-delivered a massive petition of 40,000 signatures to the Chinese embassy, fronting a group who're committed to ending genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. The people who've signed the petition want Beijing to redouble efforts to help save Darfur's civilian population.

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You may have heard the news that Massachusetts is considering passing a new bill to protect overweight and unusually short people from discrimination at work. US State Representative Byron Rushing, who introduced the bill, sees it as a civil rights issue. Studies suggest that obesity can hold back people's careers - the tricky question is to what extent is being overweight a choice?

What do you think? Are fat people equal in society? And is an anti-discrimination bill the best way to make sure that employers treat them fairly?

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Good morning from the World Have Your Say embassy at TV Centre in West London..

Tomorrow, it will be exactly a year until the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing, and an American Olympian, has called on his fellow athletes to highlight China's involvement in Sudan.

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Morning, afternoon, evening. Peter Dobbie here with news of today's World Have Your Say -- on air as usual, later today. On the programme today we want your thoughts on this little lot.

First off, world leaders, love them or hate them, some of them go on for a very long time, but if we (the voters) like them why shouldn't they simply be allowed to go on, and on, and on. The reason I ask is that the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed that he will try to change the law to allow him to remain in power indefinitely. Under the current constitution, Mr Chavez will have to leave office at the end of his term in 2012. But he says he wants to remain in power for as long as Venezuelans continue to support him. If you've been following any of the recent news stories surrounding Mr Chavez he is right. He IS popular.

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Good morning from West London. There's no doubt what the number one story is here in Britain today - the outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a farm in Surrey, south of London.

There is evidence that the may have been a nearby government research facility or its commercial partner, but, whatever the cause, there is no doubt that it is of major concern to the farming community, with a nationwide ban on the movement of livestock in force.

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Ros is at the Scout Jamboree Camp in Chelmsford in the UK, where thousands of scouts from all over the world have gathered together. At the editorial meeting with the scouts the following subjects were decided for today's programme...Floods in South Asia, Darfur and about people in the International community getting along...

Today we are live from in the UK to help the Scouts celebrate 100 years of their organisation.

Now if, like me, you know next to nothing about Scouts, Cubs, Brownies and Guides then have a look at document which Irna created just for folks like us.

Alternatively, post a question below this post and we'll get it answered tonight with the help of the thousands of Scouts present, some of whom will be helping us to create the programme today.

If, on the other hand, you're a seasoned Scout and you have fond memories of your time then read Fiona's post from two days ago to see if her memories chime with yours or just simply share your experiences in text here.

Do you think Scouting has anything to offer today? This was a topic on our Have Your Say online debate forums a few days ago. Click to see the many replies. The Have Your Say online team have now closed this debate but there's no reason for us not to continue it here on the blog.

As with all outside broadcasts we'll have an agenda and something of a plan - whether we stick to it is another thing . . . read on . . .

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WHYS listener Ian sent us this e-Mail:

Ros and the WHYS Staff:
I have a few questions for Lubna, the WHYS regular from Iraq, but would be interested to hear an answer from all WHYS listeners. If possible, if you would forward this on to her, I would be grateful.

Is Iraq a better place now, or will be a better place in the future, because of the removal of Saddam Hussein?

I understand that things are not great now in Iraq, especially after reading the letter you wrote to WHYS on your 21st Birthday, and President Bush鈥檚 current strategy isn鈥檛 working as well as he would have hoped. The American people are against the war in Iraq. The Democratic Presidential Nominees are pushing hard for a quick withdrawal of US forces from the country.

As an Iraqi, do you want US forces to leave as soon as possible? Or, are US Forces doing a good there?

I am against the war in Iraq and have been since the beginning. I believe that America has lost its focus on the 鈥淲ar on Terror鈥�. However, I do not believe that US forces can leave Iraq worse off than when we entered. It was US forces who destabilized Iraq and it is our responsibility, along with help from the Iraqis, to rebuild.

Do you feel the Iraqi Government is doing their part to build and stabilize Iraq?

Lubna, I have always enjoyed listening to your comments on WHYS. I hope all is well for you and that you are safe and happier. I look forward to your comments on my questions.

Peace to all.
Ian from Arizona, USA

What's a woggle? That's the little ring of leather to hold together the neckerchief, that you wear if you're a guide or a scout, for those of you not in the know.

Question: Where in the world are young people between about 14 and 19 gathered together, representatives of 50 counties and 6 continents, people who are electing to take workshops and discussion groups about world affairs, international news and media participation?

Answer: It's Chelmsford, Essex, 30 miles from Bush House and the World Service, its the . They are celebrating 100 years of the organisation, and I thought we should go and hear what they have to say about the day's news. In fact, I thought more than that, I wondered if they wanted to help produce, edit and present World Have Your Say on Friday 3rd August.

They said yes.

If you're after more information about the Scouting movement then have a look at which Irna kindly created for us.

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Thanks to Madeleine and Anu for covering for me over the past couple of days. I've come back to lots of requests for the Daily Email, so to all of you newcomers, thanks for signing up and please keep the regulars on their toes.

Here are today's topics...

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Good morning and welcome to the time of day when we want to know what's getting folks talking. As ever we want your e-Mails if you've anything you want to get of your chest. That's exactly what Phoebe in Minneapolis did:

I'm a big WHYS fan and unfortunately, tonight my hometown of Minneapolis is international news. I thought the WHYS readers/listeners would be interested in seeing photos of the tragic bridge collapse.

If you haven't heard about the bridge collapse then read . There are 7 dead confirmed so far.

Read on for more .. .

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Something that has come up from time to time in WHYS meetings, or has cropped up in e-mails from listeners, is the issue of "mercenaries", or the people who are privately employed in Iraq and other war zones around the world. They can be employed for a number of reasons; to help rebuild, some are trained as lawyers, or some, are armed and fight as the military do.

Jeremy Scahill has investigated one American company who train "private armies" to operate in international war zones. Blackwater "has its own military base, a fleet of twenty aircraft and 20,000 troops at the ready". If you don't have time to read , Jeremy wrote for today's Guardian newspaper, in which he expresses concern about who these armies are answering to.

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CAN WE BE BOTHERED?

Hola, como estas?

Javier and Bruno, two of our colleagues from the 大象传媒's Latin American services joined our morning meeting today. We discussed Darfur, after the news that the UN is sending 26,000 peacekeepers there. But Bruno and Javier say no one in Latin America cares much about Darfur. Are they right?

So on that note, when Britain's prime minister Gordon Brown says he wants to create a to tackle poverty and issues like Darfur, can he succeed? Do you think the mood in your country is changing to one of greater responsibility and awareness? Or is this a touchy-feely way of making us think something's being done, when really, we can't be bothered?

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The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to send a peacekeeping force of up to twenty-six-thousand to Sudan's Darfur region, where more than two-hundred-thousand people have been killed in four years of fighting.

But the resolution says the force will only be used to protect civilians who are under threat and limits the use of force against militias.

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