Archives for July 2007

Hi there,

It's Madeleine Morris here, standing in for Ros.

We're off air now - but please carry on posting your comments here.

It's a momentous day for Northern Ireland today. The British Army is ceasing operations there at midnight tonight after 38 years. Its presence in Northern Ireland was one of the biggest symbols of "The Troubles", as the conflict there was known. But as the power in Northern Ireland has slowly ebbed from gunmen to politicians and social activists, the Army's role has been diminishing. And today it will finish.

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We'll be talking about the end of the British Army mission in Northern Ireland today.

Fiona has already set up some interesting voices. She's done in a couple of hours what would take most of us a couple of days.

We want to hear voices from Northern Ireland on the 38 years of British Army presence there: the lowest moments, the turning points, the heroes, the villains.

We'll have in the studio in Belfast Michael Patterson, ex-RUC officer who lost both arms in a bomb attack. He'll be there with Anthony McIntyre, a former Republican who spent 18 years in jail.

On the phone, Chris, a former British soldier who served in Northern Ireland.

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Hello all, welcome to Tuesday's WHYS. We had a great reaction to our main topic yesterday - Should we joke about jihadists? - the emails, blog comments and texts were coming in at an amazing rate. Don't forget you can still add your thoughts here.

On to today. Here's a question to get you thinking - Is Islam really a religion of peace? After many discussions surrounding the religion in recent months, a lot of you have got in contact with us to say you want to ask this specific question - so what do you think?...

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Today on World Have Your Say we're asking... Is it invigorating or tasteless to mock fundamentalism?

As "Jihad: The musical" opens its doors at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this week, we're asking if its ok to have a laugh at the expense of extremists.

The musical features numbers such as 'I wanna be like Osama' and the romantic song 'I Only See Your Eyes'. It boasts a chorus of women in pink burkas carrying machine guns...

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Hi! My name is Benedict Terfa Shishi. I live in Nigeria. I am a graduate of Agric. Economics & Extension. I hope to pursue a Master's degree in an environmentally related course, or, journalism. This is primarily to do with my interest for environmental matters. I hope to see our environment is better protected.

I began listening to the BBC at the age of 13. I read a lot. I listen to the News a lot. I enjoy learning of foreign languages and cultures. Presently, I'm learning French, Spanish, German, and Italian all by myself. I also enjoy travelling, watching soccer, American football, basketball and tennis.

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Many people still struggle to understand the power of sport -- or should I say, football? But look at Iraq now.

The victory in the Asian Cup final has led to celebrations throughout the country and even in the streets of London.

Ethnic and religious divisions were ignored in the overnight party.

Omar, a blogger in Iraq, says that "the moment is so great that fear has no place in the hearts of the millions of fans." Is football powerful enough to cure old wounds and unite the country?

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

Friday's Daily Email newscomers: Daniel in Uganda, and Ian and Rebekah in America. Welcome.

These were Friday's topics....

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I was reading the BBC editors blog the other day and this post stuck out . They normally get tens of comments after each post, and this one has over 400. It's about the way the BBC covered 9/11 and the collapse of WTC7.

I'm in two minds about whether we should talk about it on WHYS....

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A late post today as Leonardo appears to have been struck down by illness. I picked up my first July cold ever recently, unsurprisingly with the autumnal like weather in this country. We started the week talking about the freak floods that hit the UK, and as Adrian wrote yesterday, are going to finish it by asking what can be done to improve things for people dealing with extreme weather conditions all across the globe. Post your comments and questions here, we'll do our best to get them answered.

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Hi, it's Adrian blogging on James' log-in. One of the ideas we talked about in our editorial meeting today was what's been happening with the weather across Europe. All this week we've had headlines about the weather; hundreds of people dying in Hungary, Greece and Romania, thousands homeless from flooding in the UK. We didn't do it today, but we're looking at it for tomorrow's show...

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We are off air now, we hope you enjoyed the show. The conversation continues here, please keep posting your comments.

Today's newcomers on the Daily Email: Chris in Namibia and Tiffany in the States. Thanks for signing up.

Plenty of responses to my post asking what you think of the blog. The more the merrier - we've got thick skins...

Here are today's stories...

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Jordan is today hosting an international conference to find ways to help countries struggling to cope with large numbers of Iraqi refugees. The United Nations refugee agency's deputy high commissioner says the international community has a clear obligation to help resettle the refugees, who are fleeing Iraq at the rate of about fifty-thousand every month. The UN says most of them head for Jordan and Syria. We may talk about this.

South Korea is stepping up efforts to secure the release of 22 of its people taken hostage in Afghanistan.

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We're off air now, after talking about whether a deal should have been struck with Libya securing the release of the Bulgarian and Palestinian nurses. Your responses coming into the BBC website were largely against a deal with Tripoli and many of you questionned the motives behind one. We also asked is there any sport you trust and whether are there any that remain drug-free? Lots of you responded to this item, but we didn't have much time for it, would you like to hear more tomorrow on this?

And MySpace purges the profiles of some 29000 sex offenders who were using the social networking site. We discussed whether the news of this crackdown was a concern or relief to you. Stephanie called in, she goes into schools to talk to teens and parents and describes herself as a 'tourist guide to the internet'. Here are the links as promised to her website and blog https://stephanie-booth.com or https://climbtothestars.org

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Welcome to Uzondu in Liberia, Rebekah in Oregon, James in Ohio and Zoli in Budapest. They've all just signed for the Daily Email. As I always say, please make them feel at home... at least until you get to know them.

Steve in the US has just suggested a discussion about who girls look up to, off the back of Lindsey Lohan getting herself into hot water again. Let him know...

Here's today's stories...

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This email came in for one of our regular listeners, Steve

"I just read the Lindsay Lohan was arrested again. For drunk driving, and they also found cocaine in her car. Unfortunately, girls grow up thinking that Lohan and Paris Hilton are role models. They emulate them, they dress like them, and unfortunately, they act like them. I really fear the future of society where girls think it's okay to put everyone at risk on the road, engage in very irresponsible behavior, and use illicit drugs (cocaine can actually kill, and it has killed many)........

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in Malaysia, the authorities are warning that bloggers face jail if they don't behave. A leading online political commentator (Raja Petra Camaroudin) has been questioned by police, following a complaint by a member of Malaysia's main governing party. You can't insult the King or Islam. It's an area we've covered before about online censorship...

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We're talked with Prof. Chris Rapley about his plan to combat global warming by reducing the world's birthrate.

We also heard from Irma Gonzalez daughter of Rene Gonzalez who has been jailed in the US for spying for Cuba.

And we talked to Africans about Zimbabwe. Here's President Mugabe's latest take on the situation. We had Bright Matonga on the show, the Zimbabwean Deputy Minister for Information and Publicity. We also had Sebastien Berger a journalist who recently visited Zimbabwe, here is his report. And we heard from a man who recently crossed the croc-infested Limpopo from Zim to get into South Africa.

We're always tinkering with the blog and trying to find ways to make it a better place for us to communicate with each other. It's high time that we asked you what you like and don't like about how it works.

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If you'd like me to send you details of our talking points each day, email me and I'll add you to the WHYS Daily Email.

Yesterday on the show we spoke to Prof Chris Rapley. He's head of the British Antartic Survey and soon to be head of the Science Museum in London. He knows a great deal about global warming and its effects.

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Hello, and welcome to Tuesday. Just a quick reminder you can pitch your own ideas and thoughts in our agenda meeting later on - +44 207 557 0635 is the number you need - we'll call you straight back.

The World Have Your Say team have been busy setting a few items up for today's show. Vicki's been looking at this story from Cuba where two wives are campaigning to be allowed to see their husbands who are in prison in the US...

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Two Cuban women, whose husbands are serving long sentences in the United States for conspiracy to commit espionage, are campaigning to be allowed to visit them in jail. It's not the Cuban authorities who are refusing them permission to travel but for some 10 years the American authorities have repeatedly refused to grant them visas. Amnesty International has questionned the fairness of their husbands' trial and called for temporary visas for the women.

They are among the wives of the so-called Cuban Five who were arrested in Florida in 1998 as part of an alleged spy ring. We've got permission to speak to one of the families about the case, their campaign and relations between Cuba and the US. Send us your questions or let us know if you'd like to take part live in the programme tomorrow, Tuesday.

We're off air now. I hope you've enjoyed the programme. Keep sending us your comments and we'll post them on our blog.

Rising waters, thousands of houses inundated, contaminated water and power cuts. That's Britain today, a very unusual summer indeed.

There's a state of disbelief in the country. Who do you blame? Could the floods have been avoided? And is there anyone to blame at all?

We'll be talking about Turkey too, in the day after elections for the parliament. Which way is Turkey going? Is Turkey's secularism under threat.

Let's hear what you have to say.

And we'll be hearing from Professor Chris Rapley, who thinks there's just too many people in the world. Professor Rapley is currently head of the British Antarctic Survey. He'll explain his views and join us again on Tuesday, to hear your views.

Hi, It's Martin Vennard here again.
An estimated 400 million people worldwide are classified as clinically obese, and obesity is now recognised as a major global health threat comparable with HIV/Aids.

The BBC World Service is running Globesity a season of programmes on the issue.

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I have several blisters on my hands after a reasonably unimpressive two hours spent down in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. We took part in a volunteering programme where visitors help out with the Katrina clean-up. To be honest it crossed my mind that the last thing these people needed was a motley crew of radio journalists showing up, but we were greeted with an enthusiasm and gratitude I wasn't sure we deserved.

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has vowed to expel foreigners who publicly criticise him or his government.
"No foreigner can come here to attack us. Anyone who does must be removed from this country," he said during his weekly TV and radio programme.

And he's not the only leader to make such threats. Earlier in the year Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe threatened to expel Western diplomats whom he accuses of supporting the political opposition. The warning came after international criticism of the beatings inflicted on members of the opposition held in jail.

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We've decided to look at the floods here - and at the mood in Turkey after their elections.
The floods : well, water levels are at a 60 year high, the RAF is launching it's biggest peacetime operation and on the BBC's website it's the most read story on our international site. There is a palpable mood of shock here - how could this happen in "middle England" and of course, people are blaming everything from global warming to the government. Judging by your e-mails, you want to know what's going on as well...

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Hi, this is Martin Vennard blogging again from our office in Bush House, where, despite the problems of flooding around the country and in our office at TV Centre on Friday, we've had no leaks today.

And on the subject of the climate, the man who is taking over in September as the head of the Science Museum in London, Chris Rapley, has said that global warming should be dealt with by reducing the birthrate around the world.

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I’ve just returned from New Orleans, a city still trying to put itself back together after Hurricane Katrina nearly two years ago. “It was a man made disaster” Sandra told us, she’s on a mission to tell the world it was the failure of the levees that destroyed New Orleans, not the hurricane itself.

I pretty much laughed off the text messages I was receiving from England about the severity of the floods back home. Afterall, I had spent the past few days talking to people, and seeing the impact myself, of the incredible damage water can do. Plus, I’ve lived in England all my life, we can deal with a bit of rain surely?! Looking at these pictures, it seems not…

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We're OFF air now. We hope you've enjoyed the show. Keep sending your comments and they will be posted on the blog.

It's Martin Vennard here. After a storming show from New Orleans yesterday, it was pouring down outside as I came into work at TV Centre in West London this morning. True, there's nothing unusual about that in Britain in the summer, but, to my surprise, water was also falling from above inside our office here.

It turned out that it was the air conditioning unit and not a hole in the roof that was too blame. Two guys are currently trying to repair it.

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We're off air now. Hope you enjoyed the programme. . . it's always great to do a roadshow - and it's always great to come to New Orleans.

Join us tomorrow when we'll have Ali talking about his view of Islam.

The greatest living American?

This man has just received America's highest civilian honour; top marks to anyone who knows who he is?

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You can read today's topics towards the bottom of the post.

I'm sitting in a leafy courtyard in our hotel gently perspiring and wondering at the impressive humidity here in New Orleans. We're in the French Quarter, and arriving here was a little like when you push your face to the sea, and there's a hive of activity under the surface.

We hung a left off a non-descript highway coming into town (just after the Superdome) and suddenly entered a tight-knit grid of streets teeming with restaurants, bars, hotels and shops – many nestled under the pretty green colonial balconies that cover many of the sidewalks.

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Morning, it's Vicki here in London doing the early post on the blog. Can't say I have much sympathy for the team in New Orleans and the heat they're having to deal with......we're having a dreadful summer here and more rain is forecast for the weekend. My lawn desperately needs mowing.

In the US the team has got guests lined up as Anna mentioned in her post, including some of the people we spoke to after Hurricane Katrina. What would you like to hear from New Orleans? Let us know if there are particular stories you're interested in or questions you have.

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...says Trish, one of the guests for tomorrow's New Orleans programme I just spoke to on the phone. After weeks of terminal grey and rain in London, it seems even hotter than that, but I've left the ferocious air conditioning of the hotel to type this outside in the courtyard. (Under an umbrella of course, let's just say I'm the freckly type)

I've been reunited with Peter van Dyk, who has been in Washington for the past three months but has returned to WHYS duties for a few days. He's melting so is about to return to the safety of the air conditioning. Lightweight. I find Corona works just as well as a cooling device....

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Hi again! Anu here fresh from a long break. We're off air now, but please keep sending in your comments on Wednesday's topics. You can listen to the show again here

I'm pleased to be back after a long stint in India. I'm looking forward to seeing your names and hometowns flash up in the studio tonight and hearing your views.

SHOULD INNER-CITY AIRPORTS BE CLOSED DOWN?
You've probably seen the fiery footage of the plane that crashed at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport. The plane overshot the runway as it tried to land, hitting a fuel depot and killing at least 200 people on board and on the ground...

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I'm still in a state of shock following the plane crash in Sao Paulo. How many times have I landed in the Congonhas airport, coming from Rio?

It was always a nervous arrival to the heart of the 15-million concrete jungle in Sao Paulo. As experts put it now, a disaster waiting to happen.

But no one really wanted that airport to close. It's so convenient, in the heart of Sao Paulo, you avoid all the traffic jams and the unpleasant journey from the main international airport.

Have you used the Congonhas airport in SP? Were you near the crash? Get in touch with us and send us your views.

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We're OFF AIR now.
But please keep sending us your comments.

I finally got to meet Alan Johnston yesterday. I have spoken to him on a fair few radio programmes but we've never met. It was very exciting. He asked me to tell you all that WHYS was the highlight of his day while he was being held (I'd hope it still is but I'll forgive him if he's missed a couple of shows since his release). It is a very nice feeling to think we all helped him a little.

Right - a range of things to mention.... If you want to jump to today's topics they are towards the bottom of this post...

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Hi Ros and everyone at WHYS.

I am a British convert to Islam (12 years ago). I listen to the World Service and your programme all the time in my car and I can't help but notice how many items concern Islam and Muslims, often in a negative light. This has been disturbing me for some time because I feel that Islam is not being properly presented or understood. I want to hear the good things about Islam presented and debated...

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Good morning. James over at Television Centre with a look at what's happening. No doubt the top story for many outlets today - the ongoing rift between Russia and Britain. Some are calling it "Cold War diplomacy" . Russia has warned Britain to expect a response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from London. In a tit-for-tat move, Moscow's likely to expel British diplomats.

The escalation in tension is mainly down to the Kremlin's refusal to hand over the prime suspect in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko...

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We're OFF AIR now but continue to send your comments.

A warm welcome to Jay in Latvia and Emily in Minnesota who are the latest WHYS listeners to request the Daily Email. I'm sure the regulars will make you feel at home... so long as you agree with them.

There's much excitement here at Bush House because Alan Johnston is coming in to see us all for the first time since he was released. He's due in 30 minutes, so I'm going to try and get this done before then.

Here's today's show....

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Hi it's Karnie...you must have an opinion on this...and if you do, why not join the live discussion on World Have Your Say today? We're asking..are women who decide not to have children, selfish?

French writer, Corinne Maier's book "FORTY REASONS NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN" has shot into the bestseller's list in France. The book appeals both to childless women irritated by the idea that they must have babies and to parents frustrated by the sacrifices of bringing up their children. We will be talking to Corrine on today together with other women from across the world.

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and again, the two aren't related. And i'm not saying women are selfish either. Some people think that women who can have kids - but choose not to- are selfish and it's a debate we'll be having later. Corinne Maier is leading the fightback and her words have caused controversy across Europe. She's on the programme taking your calls later..

and the Catholic church in LA is to pay out 660 million dollars to victims of abuse, and there's been an apology. In the States alone, around 2 billion dollars has been paid out to victims and some 4 thousand priests have had claims made against them. Stunning figures and that's before you start looking round the rest of the world. Here in Britain a new report says the church in the UK can do more to sort the problem out. Do you trust the church over this issue ? tell us...

......though the two aren't related.
Friday's programme wasn't up to standard and i apologise. The story about Israel was fair enough to do (see this Sunday's Telegraph for example) but we needed a key element of the story : the fact that these refugees had passed through Egypt ( see this article in the Jeruslalem Post ) . During the day, we had people from Egypt lined up to appear on the programme and for one reason or another (mainly technical- or to put it bluntly, not being able to get the phone lines to Egypt to work) we didn't do that. Not good enough. One e-mailer said "why are you doing Israel and not, say Spain or Switzerland ?" and in the light of how we did the story, i won't disagree with him.
As for New Orleans, that's another story...

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Hello, James here with Monday morning's blog post. Please remember that if you want us to be discussing a particular story or topic that's not mentioned here, then do post a comment below or take part in our meeting by calling +44 207 557 0635 and we'll call you straight back.

North Korea's confirmed it's shut down its key nuclear-producing reactor. In return, Pyongyang is getting shipments of fuel aid. After years of stalled negotiations, it's being seen as a symbolic breakthrough and - at last - members involved in the six-party talks will have something to build on when they meet later this week...

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We're on air click here to listen

This is going to be a brief effort. You can thank the builder who put his foot through my ceiling this morning for that. I was pretty late to work. As he put it - 'Ros, there's a small problem'. 'You bet there is, the Daily Email's going to be late' I replied. Oddly, that didn't really seem to register. He must not be on the list.

Mark's outlined several of the stories we're either doing or looking to do... here's where we're getting with them...

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2 stories came out on top today, though there's a couple of others we'll work on for a future programme.

We're looking at the debate in Israel about illegal Sudanese refugees. The Prime Minister is threatening to kick out the ones who made it across the border with Egypt but some think Israel - because of it's history- shouldn't be turning away people in need.

In the light of the Louisiana story, Paul's looking at where one person's "rural tradition" is another's cruelty.

Vicky is looking at where business meets the environment, pegged to a big row in Tanzania over the building of a soda ash plant near lake Natron ..

and we'll do whether David Beckham's arrival in the U.S will mean that finally, Americans will "get" football. ....and maybe stop calling it " soccer" would be nice too...

Not wishing to "bigfoot" one of my own team (and if you've ever seen James get angry you'll know i don't say that lightly) but here are a couple of other things that may get you talking.....

Apu, the American-Indian character from the Simpsons, is being used in a promotional campaign, and not everyone is happy with what some people see as reinforcing a stereotype. The excellent blog "Pickled Politics" asks the question "racist ? or light fun ? " and we may ask that too...

In Pakistan , nationwide demonstrations are planned

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Good morning. Plenty of good stories around today - not least the arrival of the Beckhams in Los Angeles. Arguably the world's most iconic footballer and his 'Spice Girl' wife are now on US soil. David will be unveiled as a LA Galaxy player just as we go on air and there's many of you who want to talk about what his image and ability will do for Major League Soccer.

David has certainly made it clear his move to the west coast of the States is purely for footballing reasons, but pictures taken for the August edition of 'W' magazine may suggest otherwise...

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We're off air now

Quite a few things to mention today - two YouTube videos (including a frustrated guest who didn't make it on to the show), a story you helped us choose for today, and a trail for Monday's programme. So without any further ado...

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Morning, Vicki again today on the early blog post. The big story around is still Iraq and the US report on progress there......we've already asked this week whether the surge is working and whether the world is too scared of Al-Qaeda. But talk of Iraq and US troop withdrawal isn't going away.

The report is expected to give a mixed assessment claiming progress in some security areas like a drop in sectarian killings in Baghdad. What's the situation like outside Baghdad now? I read recently that some of the violence has been pushed out of Baghdad to other areas because of the surge.

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Today, we're discussing the Al Qaeda threat. How real is it? Many people have written to us saying they're more likely to die in a car accident than in an Al Qaeda accident. How scared should we be?

We're talking also about bottled water. What's wrong with tap water? Are we spending too much money in plastic mineral water bottles and creating a massive environmental problem? Can you trust the water from your tap?

We're now OFF AIR, but keep sending us your comments. They will be posted in our blog.

This time next week we'll be somewhere between Heathrow and New Orleans ahead of our show there on 19th July. If you'd like to be involved in the show in any way, let us know.

Also, thanks to those of you who responded to the complaint that UK blogger Steph made about how we approach guests for the show. She also posted on our blog after reading Mark's message on hers.

Today's programme is a two-parter....

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Morning. It's Vicki today doing the early blog post.

Argentinians are getting to grips with melting snow and ice...but unlike us Brits who still can't cope with an annual scattering of the white stuff......it was the first snow in almost 90 years in Buenos Aires. Schools, airports and roads are closed. More cold weather is forecast. Chile and Bolivia have also been hit by the cold spell. Are you in South America? How are you coping? Has the initial excitement now worn off as you try to get back to work?

And should John McCain give up the race for the US presidency? Pressure is mounting on him as two senior aides resigned and he's lost support - apparently because of his backing of the war in Iraq and for the failed immigration reform bill. Should he bow out or stay the course?

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Tonight we discussed the state of Chinese products - we all use 'em right? - and whether you are concerned? We'll be hearing from some Chinese on this too. We also talked about the Mosque in Islamabad: at least 50 militants have been killed including the co-leader of the Mosque Abdul Rashid Gazi. We also asked whether there would be a backlash and if the authorities were ending the siege well? We heard from people about the surge in Iraq - is it working? As of this week the full contingent has arrived in Iraq boosting troops by about 40%.

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Plenty to get through today. Three stories and one complaint (see the post below this one).

On yesterday's programme Pakistan's Information Minister told us that he was involved in 'last ditch' negotiations with the leaders of the Red Mosque. Clearly the government's patience ran out. Here's today's topics...

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Steph is a blogger who writes Steph's blog and she's not happy with us. The nub of her gripe is that we approached her to take part in a discussion on the show and that by soliciting guests in this way we are misleading those of you who listen to the show. Here's what she's had to say, and there's also a reply from WHYS editor Mark Sandell towards the bottom of the page.

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Pakistani troops continue the assault on the Red Mosque, in the heart of the capital, Islamabad.

A military spokesman has put a figure to the bloodshed: up to 50 militants and eight soldiers. But no one really knows how many have been killed and what the final death toll will be.

Were the Pakistani authorities right by deciding to storm the mosque compound? Should we go back to the story and hear from people in Islamabad?

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We talked about the situation at the Red Mosque in Islamabad last week, and we returned to it in detail on Monday. The news wires reported that a team of hostage negotiators had been put together by the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, but whether those inside of the mosque are in the mood to talk is another matter.

The Mosque leader Abdul Rashid Ghazi has said he and his students would rather die as martyrs than surrender, and that their deaths will inspire an Islamic revolution. Of course, some on the outside are suggesting that he is holding women and children against their will.

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This has been a big planet saving weekend. Concerts round the world, the Tour the France starting from London and encouraging cycling in Britain, and Boeing. Yes, Boeing unveiled its new "green plane".

It's lighter and more fuel efficient than the planes you and I have been travelling on. But how green can a plane be?

I've done my bit to save the planet today, by cycling all the way from Greenwich to TV Centre. That's more than 20km and no CO2 emissions. But let's move on.

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Hi all it's Karnie blogging tonight, welcome to World Have Your Say..Today we've been inundated by e-mails from you asking if we can talk about kidnappings..so here's what you wanted to know...

Can kidnapping someone ever be justified? Can it change a given situation for the better ? Can there ever be a greater good, which is served by taking an individuals liberty for days, weeks, months or even years?

Kidnapping has been a topic at the forefront of many people's minds this week .... the release of Alan Johnston, the Niger Delta child kidnap, and the massive Columbia protests, demanding the release of hostages there.

Arguably, the world is only aware of the poverty of the Niger Delta because of the campaign of kidnappings, and media coverage of Alan will have raised many people's awareness of events in Gaza.

So can some kidnappings be justified if they highlight injustice or legitimate grievances?...

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Unlike the parents of Madeleine McCann, Mike and Oluchi Hill know exactly where their missing child is. She's in the hands of kidnappers in the Niger Delta, who have said they will swap the three year old child for her Father. What they're really after is money though, kidnapping is becoming "big business" in Nigeria. In previous cases it was foreign oil workers who had been taken hostage but in recent months the children of wealthy Nigerians had also become targets. Listeners in Nigeria have told WHYS about the problem, before, and we touched on it in one of our shows from there. I'm sure we will speak to people in the area today.

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New Orleans is a very special place to me, and to the World Have Your Say team.

It was from the Preservation Hall in the French Quarter that we broadcast our first out-of-studio, on-the-road, programme in March 2006. It was seven months after Katrina ravaged much of the city including the beautiful and soulful jazz venue. I also spent a lot of time with one of our listeners Carole who took Anu and I to her destroyed home.

Since our New Orleans debut we have broadcast from Detroit, Washington, New York, Portland, Columbus, Boston, Cleveland and Atlanta in the States, from Soweto and Sandton in South Africa, from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, from France, Turkey, and all over India. We've run around with mics hearing from you, our listeners, in schools, churches, offices, taxi ranks, universities, in the middle of crowds, at people's houses, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants…

But the first five minutes (we opened with a bit of live jazz) at the Preservation Hall will, for me at least, not be topped easily.

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Peter Dobbie here. We're off air now - but you can listen again by clicking here.

A group of British parliamentarians think it is, and they're calling for international engagement with the Hamas movement, after it helped free the BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza. The logic flows like this: Hamas played a "pivotal role" in ending Alan Johnston's detention, so, it should now join Palestinian reconciliation efforts. Fair enough ? What do you think ? You'll know that Hamas is boycotted by western powers because of its anti-Israeli stance. Plus this radical Islamist organisation has been engaged in a bitter power struggle with its secular nationalist rival Fatah, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Does some of this come down to face-saving, or put another way can Isreal and America ever talk to Hamas ? Contact details as ever, at the end of this e-mail.

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It was a brilliant day, for obvious reasons. Our colleague (and for a couple of members of the WHYS team - Leo and David - our friend) Alan Johnston had been freed after 114 long days.
The mood around Bush was unashamedly happy - the BBC like a lot of big organisations - can be a grumpy place and the "whinge culture" thrives, but yesterday was different. Big smiles and moist eyes were the order of the day, and the reception that Alan's parents and sister received when they arrived here will live long in the memory.

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I'm still in the hangover of Alan Johnston's release. What a day it was at Bush House. To have him in the programme celebrating the end of the daily "Alan slot" was just special. Soon after coming off air, Alan won a radio award from the Amnesty International for his reports from Gaza. Alan said he now intends to help raise the profile of other journalists held in detention throughout the world.

Shouldn't those of us who demanded Alan Johnston's freedom now demand the release of other journalist kept in detention? That's what Charles Glass, an American writer, journalist and former hostage, asks in an article today. He refreshes our memories and mentions the case of Sami al-Hajj, of al-Jazeera television, who remains detained in Guantanamo.

But what Alan called the best 4th of July of his life was a bit of a roller coaster for others. In Pakistan, all eyes are in the Red Mosque (or Lal Mosque), a centre for radical Islamic preaching. Security forces are outside the mosque in Islamabad, urging students to surrender. Ten people were killed in clashes there on Tuesday.

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Alan Johnston is a free man. After 114 days in captivity, our colleague has been released from captivity in Gaza.

Alan was handed over by armed men in Gaza City in the early hours of this morning.

As regular listeners are aware, every day since Alan was captured, we have heard messages of support for him on the programme, in the hope that the words of support may get through to him.

The picture above shows Alan speaking to us LIVE on the programme.

Alan told BBC radio this morning that he did hear some of those messages, including ones from former hostages Terry Waite and Brian Keenan.

Thank you to everyone who sent in messages, please continue to do so, as we would love to hear your reaction to Alan's release today.

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We're now off air. To listen, click here. We were asking if the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow, and the investigation that followed, has affected the lives of British Muslims. There's been violence at the controversial Red Mosque in Islamabad - we talked to people there. And we also got reaction to President Bush's intervention in the Lewis "Scooter" Libby sentence.

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Virginia in Oregon's just emailed me. 'I wonder how many other Americans are as disgusted as I am that Libby was pardoned by Bush today. I was so irritated I turned the TV off.' Well I can tell you that we are receiving over 500 emails an hour on this story. Join the throng...

The bulk of the show though will be spent looking at the ramifactions of the failed attacks for Britain's communities....

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Morning....there's still only one story around here today. In the UK, we're still talking about the failed attacks on London and Glasgow. More arrests have been made - one in Australia. Given that those involved seem to have been foreign-born and relatively recent arrivals to the UK, questions are being asked about immigration and whether we need tougher entry requirements.

That said, the government has welcomed "the strong measures of condemnation we have heard throughout the weekend from (Muslim) community leaders across the country". This is being read by some as the start of a new hearts and minds campaign aimed at Muslims living in Britain. In a significant choice of language, the new Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, rarely mentioned Muslims in her statement and she described the perpetrators as criminals.

There's also lots of discussion about the fact those behind the attacks were doctors and the idea we often imagine that bombers are from more deprived or excluded backgrounds.

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Quite a few decent stories around today, but the strongest and most thought-provoking is coming out of the UK. On our BBC News site, we've already had 6,000 comments about the attempted car bombs in London and Glasgow. There is clearly a lot to talk about and it's sure to make a lively debate on the show. All of our contact details are on the right hand side of the page...we're asking a few main questions:

What would it take to make this sort of terrorism stop? Is it a more generalised hatred of the west? Is it about British foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, or Salman Rushdie's knighthood, or the Palestinian situation, sharia law, or any specific grievance or grievances? What motivates the bombers, and what can be done to stop these sort of attacks? Join the global conversation and get posting.

Hello, good morning. It's James here with a look at a few of the stories which may make the show later.

If you would like to pitch your idea to the team, just call us on +44 207 557 0635 and we'll call you back.

BRITAIN ON ALERT
Attempted car bombings in Glasgow and London over the past 72 hours have put the UK on the highest state of terrorism alert. You will have probably seen the dramatic videos over the weekend. Arrests have been made, roadblocks have been put up and increased security is present in major cities and airports up and down the UK. It's a massive test for Gordon Brown - less than a week after he took over as British Prime Minister...

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