WHYS in Miami

We’ve touched down in Miami and are preparing for a week’s worth of shows from the University of Miami There’s a great vibe on campus right now. It’s a lazy Sunday with students sitting around in the sun with laptops drinking coffees, having a spot of lunch. Reminds me of my university days.

Do wars need to be legal?

 

UPDATE: 29/01/2010
Some days there is no doubt about what is the biggest talking point of the day. As I’m typing this, every single TV screen here at the BBC’s newsroom is tuned to the same story and the blogosphere is abuzz with talk of Tony Blair’s appearance at the Chilcott Inquiry today.

It’s been eagerly anticipated in the Middle East, as this, this and this article show, and elsewhere.

Over the course of the day, Blair’s arguments on going to war will face forensic scrutiny. But can wars ever be justified on legal grounds?

On air: Would you adopt a child from Haiti?

This little boy has just touched down in the Netherlands, his new home. It’s worlds apart from the wreckage he has left behind – Haiti.

 It’s a common story right now. The US, France and Canada  have already sped up their adoption processes but people are divided.

Here’s a round up of the rights and wrongs of adopting during a disaster.

Obama one year on – WHYS on TV

WHYS was on BBC World TV earlier today. Click here for part two and part three.

Is there any defence against a suicide bomber?

How can you stop someone who’s determined to die and doesn’t care who’s killed in the process?
Right now, there are 20 odd suspected Taliban militants involved in a commando style assault near Kabul’s presidential palace. And their donning their suicide vests. I can hear one of my colleagues on the phone to witnesses in Kabul – the battle is still on.

On air: How you can help Haiti

When tragedy strikes, it’s human instinct to want to make it all better – in a flash.

In a country as vulnerable as Haiti, it doesn’t quite work like that. As aid pours in from across the world , a ruined infrastructure, overcrowded airport and no visible police force are some of the factors adding to Haiti’s nightmare. And time is running out.

On air: Do tragedies like this make you question your beliefs?

Take a look at this video. It’s religious broadcaster Pat Robertson discussing Haiti’s “pact with the devil” and it’s got lots of you talking about God’s place in this tragedy .

On air: Haiti Earthquake

Hundreds of people are feared dead following a 7.0-magnitude quake in Haiti yesterday. Here’s the latest.

It’s said to be the largest earthquake in Haiti in 25 years. This blogger and radio host describes the scene.

Raymond Alcide Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the US called the country’s infrastructure the worst in the world and said that the earthquake was a ” a catastrophe waiting to happen,”

Haiti’s Phonelines and power are down and once again twitter and Facebook have proved invaluable. So we’ll be using the internet and our contacts to try to get you voices on the ground. If you, your family or friends are there please do get in touch.

On Air: Should Google pull out of China?

Google is considering closing down its operations in China following several “highly sophisticated” cyber attacks on its services and disputes with authorities over censorship.

Google wants to run an “unfiltered” search engine in China. But should Google have allowed itself to be censored in the first place?

On air: How do you measure happiness?

Florida updates: videos here / photos here and tweets here. Afghans are happier than they were a year ago according to the latest poll released yesterday.

One of the main reasons for this rise is an improvement in living conditions, with over half being happier as a result of more electricity. And the troop surge has also proved popular. Do these results surprise you?

The results have clearly made governments and NATO more positive, but not all Afghans share the optimism. 

This got us thinking. How do you define  and measure happiness?