On air: Is contraception too important to be left to men?

The reason we’re asking this is because new research shows that a male contraceptive injection could be as effective at preventing pregnancies as the female pill or condoms.

It’s a monthly testosterone injection which works by temporarily blocking sperm production and could revolutionise birth control.

Five for Friday 30th May

One of Britain’s most senior police officers has said Britain should negotiate with the leaders of al-Qaeda to bring to an end its violent campaign.

Sir Hugh Orde, who is head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said the experiences of his force tackling the IRA had convinced him that policing alone would not defeat al-Qaeda inspired terrorism.

Is the fashion industry racist?

The next issue of the Italian edition of Vogue is to feature mainly black models. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani,  says she is doing it because not enough people in the fashion industry use black models.

Ms Sozzani is the latest person to suggest that the fashion industry is racist.  Is she right? Does it promote a white world?

From Baghdad to Jerusalem

We’re planning to talk today to WHYS regular Lubna, in Baghdad, and Rabbi David Rosen in Jerusalem. They struck up a friendship via email and have been corresponding over the last few months about issues such as Middle East politics and religion.

Already, a number of you have posted on the blog about this and you will have the chance to speak to them live in today’s programme.

Breakfast at the chief’s

When a paramount tribal chief in Ghana invites you to come for breakfast at his palace, it’s an offer you can’t really refuse.

Greetings from Ghana

Hi, Ros and I are in Ghana to produce two full editions of WHYS on Wednesday 30th January and Friday 1st February.We’re very near the coast in the twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, where we’ll do Friday’s programme in conjunction with local broadcaster Sky Power FM. On Wednesday we plan to do the programme from the minining town of Tarkwa, which is about an hour’s drive north of here, along with Dynamite FM.  

Talking to Israel and Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians have been crossing into Egypt from the Gaza Strip after  militants destroyed parts of the border wall separting them. Gazans crossed over to buy food, fuel and other supplies that have become scarce because of an Israeli blockade – aimed at stopping rocket attacks from Gaza.

Monday morning musings

There are a few stories around that we could talk about in today’s programme. There have been a number over the last few days about biofuels and climate change.

In Britain, a committee of MPs has said the the European Union should abandon its biofuels targets because they are damaging the environment.

In favour of nuclear power

Here are the views of Malcom Grimston, an expert on nuclear energy at London’s Chatham House think tank:

We need three things from our energy and electricity. It’s got to be as cheap as possible, it’s got to be reliable – power cuts are very expensive – and it’s got to do as little damage to the environment as possible.