It's James here: It began with the question "How do you feel about the news from Iraq?" A month later, it has become a WHYS phenomenon - almost 250 comments on the blog, and more coming in every day.
As the violence continues and the number of deaths on all sides mounts, you've made it clear that it's an issue you really want to talk about. So this Wednesday (Feb 28) we're going to devote a whole programme to it. Now it's up to you to tell us who you want to hear from, what questions you want to ask, and to come on air and take part in the debate.
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Hi It's Karnie Live Blogging tonight...welcome to World Have Your Say....
Today we're talking about the following
The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has suggested...immigrants should have to do community work to help them intergrate into the community...what do you think?
Also the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams says the Anglican church is being damaged by its obsession with sex - do you agree?
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A good meeting , plenty of talking points, and a few newcomers in the office to keep us on our toes.
The comments of Dr Rowan Williams , the Archbishop of Canterbury, that the Church of England is . Is it?
That's not to say we aren't looking at the aimed, according to the Taliban, at Dick Cheney , or indeed the ICC naming
But also...
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At least 19 people have been killed and 10 injured in a outside Afghanistan's main US base during a visit by US Vice-President Dick Cheney. Are you in the region? What's been the reaction to this latest attack?
Here's the rest of the news...
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Tonight we were talking about the UN decision that Serbia wasn't responsible for the genocide that happened in the Bosnian war. We're also asking if Africa should take more responsibility for the situation in Somalia.
If you missed the show, you can hear it again by clicking on the "Monday" button on the right. You can read the emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
And remember to get your thinking caps on for our big show coming up on Wednesday - How do you feel about the news from Iraq?
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Serbia's been for genocide between 1992-95.
is the decision an insult to the relatives of the people who died? Or is it quite right that a country shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of it's past leaders?
Also today..
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We're now off air, but read below to find out ALL about the show.
It's day two of our Boston tour and today we're broadcasting from the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. The 40 strong audience of students and tutors are ready to discuss tonight's hot topics, democracy and women in leadership.
You can read emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
Here we go...
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Just a question I thought I'd throw out from a snowy but sunny Cambridge Massachusetts. Well, I can't claim it as my own, it's a suggestion for a talking point for today's programme from a listener called Dwight.
If you're going to visit Boston, one of the birthplaces of "American style democracy" and modern freedom, a great question to ask is, what does it mean to be free and democratic? What did it mean back then and what does it mean today? In what way have we mirrored and adopted the ideals we revolted against?
We agree it's a great topic Dwight, and we think the students from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government who are taking part in today's programme could have a thing or two to say about some of the issues you've raised! We've e-mailed you back to see if you'd be up for kicking off the show with some of your points, please get in touch soon if you can...
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We went to Boston for the Public Media conference, but it seemed foolish to go for just one programme. So today we'll be broadcasting from the at Harvard University's .
And in addition to the usual stations that carry us in the US, the show will go out on WBUR in Boston as well, and will host alongside our very own Ros Atkins.
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We're now off air but here's everything from tonight's show you'll ever need to know...
As Pete told you earlier we're live from the in Massachusetts. As you can see by the photo it's pretty busy, but I'm sure team WHYS have got the the situation well under control. Remember, you can read emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
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Statistics from the UK show that marriage rates are at their lowest since records began. This has got campaigners in the UK , they want the government to introduce incentives to marry, warning that without support the institution could go into terminal decline.
What's the situation like where you live? Are marriage rates declining in your country? Has marriage outlived its usefulness to society? Are you married or do you expect to get married in the future? Click to read what other people responding to the Ö÷²¥´óÐã news website have said about this.
Next we'll be talking about...
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Most of the team are , which is coming from the conference, and they'll be getting an early wake-up call for the morning meeting. Of course, if you'd like to join us give us a ring on +44 20 70 83 72 72.
But what to talk about? The top Ö÷²¥´óÐã news story at the moment is , but since it was big news last year when resigned after heading the longest-serving Italian government since World War II it's hardly news when the next government can't manage it. Or do you disagree?
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It's Karnie live blogging today...
The British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that 1600 troops will soon be coming home from Iraq . And the Danish government says all its troops are pulling out as well .
We're asking:
What do you think ? Should the troops stay or go ?
Also...As you heard in the news there is political uncertainty in Italy. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã has learnt - Romano Prodi's government is is "inclined to" present its resignation to the president after a major defeat in a Senate vote on foreign policy on Wednesday.
ALESSANDRO - ITALY
Yes, I think it has to resign. A government that's not able to govern it's own country has to go. Mr Prodi is not strong enough!
But let's get back to Iraq for now...we will return to Italy in a bit...
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The British Prime Minister Tony Blair hasthat the UK will cut 1,600 troops from it's deployment in southern Iraq over the coming months. This despite many in Southern Iraq feeling it is now in the grip of Shia militias. Over the past few weeks we've been asking you how you feel about the situation in Iraq.Do you think the pull out is the right decision? Or is it too early? Are troops from your country currently in Iraq? Should they now pull out?
South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, has of being racist. The ANC accused the Ö÷²¥´óÐã of helping to feed "the deeply embedded stereotype that Africans are genetically inferior" following a news report by John Simpson on the country's escalating crime problem. Did you hear the report? Do you agree with the ANC, was it racist? What do you think of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's coverage of Africa?
Here's what didn't make it into today's show
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We talked tonight about Rwanda's decision to release people suspected of genocide and the dangers, if there are any, of overtly sexual marketing aimed at children.
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For those who didn't hear last night's show, or haven't read last nights blog, it's fair to say we received quite a bit of criticism for devoting part of our show to the pop star Britney Spears. Before I explain why we decided to do the item here's a selection of what people said...
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My second full day of planning in Boston has reaped great rewards....
The ISDN line - the broadcast quality connection - has been made and tested with our studios in London, so we're ready to go tomorrow from our first of two programmes in Boston. Thursday's programme will be from the Public Media Conference 2007 where we expect to have an audience of 350 people.
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I'm the advanced party for our two Boston programmes at the end of the week. My job is to see everything is set up and smooth the way for our 'seniors' arriving today, and Ros and Anna arriving Wenesday and to sniff around for local stories and burning issues with our audience.
In reality you spend most of the day on the phone to telecomms companies trying to get broadcast quality lines installed (these have been ordered previously, but its never simple) buying US/UK adapters and meeting our contacts who have helped us get this far.
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Rwanda - Thousands of detainees suspected of genocide were yesterday in a bold experiment aimed at promoting reconciliation and forgiveness in the blood-soaked central African state. Are you in the region? How is this story playing there? Do you think this is a good idea?
Steve's idea about a reality tv show that has aired in the States, following a group of young Arabs on a road trip across America. descibes it as "Al Jazeera meets MTV", and asks if a reality tv show can improve the image of the United States abroad. Have you seen it? What do you make of it?
Sexualisation of young girls - The American Psychological Association's says inappropriate marketing is leading to the sexualisation of children by a consumer led society. Are children becoming too sexualised? Or is this an over reaction and are we not able to deal with a changing modern world?
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You'll notice the question mark at the end there, that's because as always, we want you to tell us what we should discuss on today's programme. There's a lot going on in the news today, but an obvious talking point hasn't leapt off the page, well computer screen, at me yet.....
Steve in Utah e-mailed to alert us to a reality tv show that has aired in the States, following a group of young Arabs on a road trip across America. descibes it as "Al Jazeera meets MTV", and asks if a reality tv show can improve the image of the United States abroad. Have you seen it? Tell us more.....
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Hi everyone,
As Richard wrote earlier, we hope to entice you to talk about two very different subjects on tonight's programme. Your reaction to the bombs on the train travelling between India and Pakistan, and it's effect on the relationship between the two countries. And the Britney Spears shaven head story - do you feel sorry for her?
Post your comment now.
You can read emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
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A fire sparked by explosions has swept through two carriages of a train bound from , killing at least 65 people on board. Were you there? What do you make of it? What are people in India and Pakistan saying about the attacks? Will this affect the two countries fragile relationship?
At the weekend Britney Spears hit theagain - for all the wrong reasons. The star publicly shaved all her hair off in an LA salon and got some more tattoos before checking into rehab. She's clearly in a bad way. But who's fault is it? Her own? Should she just grow up? The media for the intense attention put on her for her wild partying while having two small children? Should we, the public, bear some of the burden for our insatiable interest in celebrity lives?
Read on for the rest of the morning meetings notes
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On some days there isn't much in the way of interesting stories and on other days there's possibly too many. Today is the latter. Well, at least I think so. You might disagree . . . As ever, please contact us if you'd like to get a hot talking point on air: worldhaveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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We're now off air, but fear not, read below for all the comments from today's show.
As I wrote earlier, we wanted to know if you thought too much money is being spent on the global fight against Aids? ... Post your comment now. We also spoke to youngsters from across the world who've experienced gun crime and asked them what can be done about this growing global culture.
You can read emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
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It is according to a article. The report suggests that other conditions like diabetes and malaria are being neglected as billions of pounds are being pumped into the global fight against Aids. Do you agree? Does the world focus too much on AIds? If so why? Are celebrities and other influential people too focused on this illness at the expense of others? Let us know what you think.
Also, after a another young person was shot dead London this week the spot light has once again been shone on Britain's inner cities. We'll be speaking to youngsters from across the world who've experienced gun crime and asking them what can be done about this growing global culture.
Here's the rest of the meeting notes for you to chew over...
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Good Morning,
I watched a rather sobering item on last night's ten o'clock news from a Orla Guerin was staying in a camp with thousands of refugees who have been forced from their homes in Darfur in brutal inter-ethnic attacks. She asked if the situation there could become as severe as Darfur. Should we look at this on the programme later?
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Hi It's Karnie blogging tonight..sorry this is a bit late but here goes..
On Tonight's programme...
President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadenijad called for the destruction of Israel on several occasions... We asked...Does this warrant legal action? Also Tony Blair and Hugo Chavez are both making more efforts to listen to people they govern...we asked...Should policies be set by public opinion or personal conviction?
Your comments on the Iranian President's statement came in thick and fast....
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Hello world. Sorry for the delay, I've had a bit of computer trouble this morning. So without further ado, here we go. Should the world take legal action against the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Well, the legal editor of the UK newspaper the thinks there could be a case...
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It's Karnie here blogging the show ... Tonight we asked whether nuclear weapons make you feel safer, and what makes children happy.
To thrash out the nuclear issue, Madeleine was joined by , a research analyst from the International Institute for Strategic Studies here in the UK, and, as Dicky might say, a "massively global" panel of callers from 14 countries. Then we had a slightly smaller but no less global bunch of kids gathered around microphones worldwide to tell us about their lives.
If you missed the show you can catch up here on the blog, and of course it's never to late to add your thoughts, just post a comment.
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We’re off to Boston. I’d love to know if you want to talk about the new software that gives people in countries with internet censorship the chance to browse unobserved, if is well overdue, if is about racism, standing against the scientific tidal wave or just media manipulation, if the were worthy of a place on World Have Your Say and most importantly where I can find my favourite brand of jeans…
Your help is needed. What should we talk about on our trip to Boston? You set the agenda. We listen (and shop on our day off).
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Do you feel protected if your country has nuclear weapons?
North Korea agreed to eventually dismantle its nuclear weapon programme yesterday. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad doesn't appear to be quite so willing to make such gestures. Are nuclear weapons used as bargaining tools? Tell us how safe you feel, if your country has nuclear capability or not....
What makes children happy?
We're going to ask children in different parts of the world this question. A Unicef report says children in the UK are the unhappiest of the 21 western countries it surveyed. But what about the children outside these countries? What would make them happier?
Read my earlier blog for more on these stories.
If you live in the UK, it would seem the answer to that is yes. A report by Unicef says Britain's children are the unhappiest in the Western world. Jonathan Bradshaw, one of the reports authors, describes Britian as a "picture of neglect".
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As Paul wrote earlier, today we're asking if it matters if your sporting hero is gay? Do we go over the top with weddings? And if you are in America, what message do you want your representative to send to the White House about Iraq?
Post your comment now.
You can read emails and text messages here, and of course post your own comments as well.
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Sounds like the new Richard Curtis film but no, it's the menu for tonight's show: Congress debates Iraq this afternoon and as I write the new security plan in that troubled country is biting: they've closed the borders with Syria and Iran. We'll also touch on the gay NBA player who has come out but only after he finished playing. And weddings: how much is enough? We in the West are now reaching obscene levels of outlay when planning a wedding but church officials are saying it's time to reign in the spending. . . read on . . .
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On a bright sunny morning in London news drifts in that there may be a in the North Korea nuke talks. Has Kim finally seen sense? Has America softened its position? Will potential US food aid save these from certain death on the plates of the hungry Koreans? Read on for early suggestions and please, do join us in our morning meeting if you'd like to have a say.
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Tonight we talked about whether life imprisonment should actually mean life, as a notorious murderer in Germany is about to be released. Is the US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama black enough for African-American voters? And after their Grammy success, has the US public forgiven the Dixie Chicks for saying they were ashamed of President Bush?
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Sorry everyone, a bit of a breakdown in the process today. But better late than never, so here's what we're talking about today.
First up, the decision of a German court to on probation after serving 24 years in jail.
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Good morning and welcome to another week. It'll be tough to live up to last week's India chats but fortunately there's a ton of stuff out there for us to get stuck into, not least the signs of desperation amongst Colombia's narco-mafia: a contract has been issued for the life of , that country's top drug sniffing dog. Read on for what caught my eye and if there's some burning issue you'd like the Ö÷²¥´óÐã to concentrate on then why not join us in about 3 hours time at the morning meeting?
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Shilpa and Shriaz are sitting with me in the studio in London and they are discussing how Indian they feel living in another country with our audience in Mumbai.
Our lines are up. We can hear them, they can hear us. We're on our role and it's our last "India Rising" programme. It's been quite a week.
Greg Bruschi sent a sympathetic email to our team on the road saying "Sorry you are not feeling well. That can't be helped. I guess you are earning your pay this week?" Thanks for that Greg. They certainly are!
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Well, it's day 5 of our India tour and juding by the talk after last night's programme it feels like day 50!
Tonight we’ve been invited to broadcast the show from the terrace of one of yesterday’s audience members, Ketan. His office is in Mahalaxmi West, and has a beautiful terrace over looking this side of Mumbai.
The bonus of tonight’s venue is that it has lights, seating and a table. Unfortunately no illuminated palm tree, but hey, we can’t have everything..
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From Ros: This trip has had a definite soundtrack – but not the Bollywood hits or beautiful sitar playing I might have expected. Muzak it seems is alive and well here in India – from the airport, to the hotel, to the planes and trains and restaurants – someone somewhere has decided we’d like to listen monks singing Stairway To Heaven, or a panpipe version of Wish You Were Here. So to make you feel at home click on this link and select any of the clips to listen to while you’re reading this post.
https://www.emusic.com/album/10933/10933721.html
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Tonight's programme was very passionate and fiery and you seemed to like it, you can read your emails and texts here. However, my inbox went mad in the last 15 minutes of the programme with your complaints such as this from Laura
"Stop interrupting each other like crazy people! It’s impossible to understand what the hell you are saying and why you are saying it! Host, get control of everyone so we can figure out what your points are. At this point with all the interrupting, we are all sick here in the office."
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We've got 10 minutes to go until we're live on air. I'm listening to our audience members in Mumbai introduce themselves. It sounds pretty noisy there so I'm sure we're in for a treat.
Add to our blog by using the form at the bottom of the page. Or send us an email. I'll be posting your emails and texts during the programme.
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About four inches of snow fell in London this morning. Predictably the transport system ground to a halt. My one hour journey took two hours and the three newspapers I read every morning have been well and truely read, including the business, motors, property and jobs sections.
I log on a take a look at the emails and blog comments that come in every night. Lots of praise for our third "India rising" programme but a long email heaping criticim on our programmes from Simon Fairlie in the UK. He adds his voice to several others.
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Help! It's Rabiya here in Mumbai. You may remember a few blog posts back that I said there was some good news on the horizon to do with our ISDN lines, which are basically our radio link to the rest of the world. That was all totally premature, since we still don’t have working lines in, and we’re on air in 6 hours.
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Everyone's moved on to Hyderabad. Well, except Richard who was already there, and Rabiya who's in Mumbai waiting for her time in the spotlight on Thursday and Friday. And of course me, who's still at Bush House. With David. But you know what I mean.
Anyway, here are email and text comments that came into the programme, so add your thoughts as well.
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From Ros: I’m writing this on the patio outside our hotel in Hyderabad. From here I can see the pool, a very nicely kept lawn and a number of new build blocks of flats. It’s the first time since I arrived in India that I’ve felt I could be in any number of places.
Of course, there’s far more of the city that is very clearly Indian, but right where I am surrounded by businessmen and women speaking in accents from around the world, this seems a very generic experience.
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If you didn’t hear last night’s show from Delhi University then you missed a treat. You can, of course read the live blog but I assure you it won’t convey the energy, passion and depth of discussion undertaken by not only the students but the callers as well. I’d advise you go to the WHYS home page and listen to the whole thing again. I was gripped, but also a little nervous as the pressure on Hyderabad just went up. Straight after the show Mark summed it up in a text which read…
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Ros and Anu were at Delhi University in India's capital city with an audience of mostly students. You can read emails and text messages sent during the programme here, and of course post your own comments as well.
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So there we were, all settled in at Out of the Blue, for an evening of high entertainment. Coffees, cakes, three wireless laptops and three sets of headphones between four people to listen to WHYS first broadcast from India.
All going well, enjoying listening to Ros, Anu and the passionate crowd in Chandigarh, when Supriya gets a phone call from a friend of hers in blind panic...
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I remember going to Barbados to visit my family a few years ago and I was shocked at the sheer amount of international football on the TV. There was Italian football, Spanish football, South American football and, most importantly for me Premiership football.
In the UK it can be a struggle...
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Hi Everyone-- we're all knackered after our late night broadcast from Chandigarh and early morning train to Delhi.
Here's Ros first:
We’ve just arrived at our hotel in Delhi after taking the (very early) train from Chandigarh. Of course there was plenty of chat about last night’s show but as we all averaged about 3 hours sleep, dozing was the priority. And once I’ve finished writing this I shall be going back for more.
I found last night’s show frantic and fascinating. Each call or text seemed to throw up more issues – and by the end education, governance, middle class guilt, fair wages, caste and national pride had all been addressed.
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It's our first broadcast of and as I seem to have I'm not with the team I'm in the studio at Bush House. But don't worry, my time will come...
Not yet though - it's India's time now and you can listen live here. I'll be posting the comments as they come in, and Ros and Anu in Chandigarh will be reading out as many as they can - so keep them coming.
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Mumbai WHYSer reporting for duty..It's been almost two decades since I was last in this city, and although I was aware that things had changed, I was unprepared for just how much change.
I arrived in this vibrant, friendly city early Sunday morning. Aside from the thick smog and the inevitable throng of waiting taxi drivers only too eager to help you on your journey, the one thing that struck me when I came out of the airport was the rush. Car horns, stall sellers, people just hanging out, the noise was deafening, and it was almost two in the morning!
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Hi there. It's Ros here. How are you? We're just getting all our kit ready for tonight's show from Chandigarh - you can listen live here at 1800gmt.
I’m three days into my time in India and it’s a little like having my eyes peeled back. I’ve never been here before and am spending most of my time taking it all in and bugging Anu with endless questions. (If you’re a guest coming along to tonight’s show in Chandigarh you can expect more of the same.)
Cars are playing a major role in my experience. Having heard so much about Delhi’s traffic, I was impressed that my cab from the airport got involved in a snarl up just 2 metres from our parking space. Then I spent Saturday getting a tour of the city with a friend who works in Delhi.
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Well, I’m just about to find out as I prepare to leave the hotel for the first time since my arrival on Sunday. It’s been a crazy little journey, filled with long queues, delayed planes and non-arriving taxis, but I finally made it to the IT capital of India and can’t wait to have a look around.
If you’re not sure what we’re doing in India, fear not...
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So, if you haven't already heard, pretty much all of Ö÷²¥´óÐã World Service Radio is gearing up and heading off to India for a series of programmes known to me and you as .
Of course us WHYSers aren't about to miss out on a trip like this so we'll be out there for five days of programmes starting on Monday 5th February in . As Fiona wrote last week, we'll also be visiting , and and we want you to come and take part. "But where exactly are you going to be?" I hear you cry... Well here's your answer...
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What are you going to do about ? Are you bothered? Has climate change affected your town?
Get in touch, we're live on air. SMS, email or text.
Also, are you blighted with ? Read the earlier post for details.
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We can't avoid the IPCC report on Climate Change. It's leading every major news outlet and a lot of blogs. The question we'll pose is: WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? Read on . . .
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Welcome to our morning meet. The number is +442075570635 if you'd like to join in. Do call, we'll put you on speakerphone. Read on for the meet . . .
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Coming in this morning the headline that stood out was "Oil giants rack up £33bn profits". Of course, headlines are meant to stand out, but that's an awful lot of money. Shell's share of it is a , while Exxon Mobil set a .
But these are businesses, and they're not having any trouble selling their oil, so I wonder if there is such a thing as too much profit. Tell me what you think. And if you don't care about this, tell me what you'd like to talk about.
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Some people think Muslims are betraying their faith by serving in the UK and US armed forces - do you agree?
Call, email or SMS, the details are on the right of the page =>>>>>>>
Should parents have the final say over their children's healthcare?
Will you be turning your lights off tonight?
Read the earlier post for the skinny on these stories then join us.
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We've got our Editor, Mark, one of our Producers, Anna, and two Studio Managers (our technicians) Matt and Catherine in a plane on the way to Delhi. While they're watching films and eating aeroplane food, we're here in London (sigh) doing our daily programme (but we love it really).
We're all really looking forward to a series of five programmes from India coming up in the next week. We've had lots of interest in it and plenty of audience members coming. You can see what one person in each of our locations .
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Ruth blogging the morning meeting.
A plot to kidnap and execute serving in the British army is foiled by police.
Are you putting yourself at double risk if you're a Muslim soldier? Should your faith come before your loyalty to your country?
We want to hear from you
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I should be on my way to India for next week's special India Rising season but red tape has stopped me going and I'm now in a windowless office in Shepherd's Bush. It's not that I'm bitter, well, maybe a little.
Still, on with the show.
Top stories today including, the US issuing , telling them to stop helping Iraqi militants to make lethal bombs, while France announces a in public places.
And the parents of are protesting in court against the provincial government after social workers seized three of their babies and doctors gave two of them blood transfusions. As Jehovah's Witnesses the parents oppose the treatment on religious grounds. Two of the six children have died since their birth on January 7.
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