Israel decides

Israelis go to the polls to decide their new government next Tuesday. There’s a lot at stake, not only for Israelis and for Palestinians, but for the entire Middle East and wider world. WHYS will be live from Tel Aviv on Monday, and from Jerusalem on election day, putting you in touch with Israelis and hearing from them at this pivotal time.

On air: Should sex offenders be castrated?

Europe’s leading human rights body has criticised the Czech Republic for continuing to surgically castrate male sex offenders. The Council of Europe claims castrations had sometimes been performed without warnings of side effects and on men not capable of making an informed decision. In the past ten years 94 castrations have been carried out and a further 300 Czech men have undergone chemical castration since 2000.

Talking Points 6 February

It’s a big week for elections in the Middle East.

The Iraqi elections were “ the most boring event in Iraq since the war” according to this blogger. Nouri al-Maliki has emerged as the winner of the provincial elections. Improved security and peaceful elections have strengthened the Prime Minister’s popularity. Is this the first sign of Iraq becoming a true democracy? Good news for Iraq but is the real winner the US?