2009 August | PRI's The World - Part 8

Archive for August, 2009

America’s mission in Afghanistan

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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President Obama has put Afghanistan at the top of his foreign policy agenda. But polls suggest that many Americans don’t share the President’s priority… or even know why we’re there. Anchor Jeb Sharp speaks with policy expert Andrew Exum of the Center for a New American Security. >>>The World’s Aaron Schachter recently reported from behind the front lines.

Global Political Cartoons: August 15-21, 2009

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

Afghans went to the polls this week and international cartoonists felt compelled to comment about it. You’ll see plenty of burkas, and Kalashnikovs, often in the same image. The cartoons are somber, poignant, provocative and deeply irreverent.

>>>Click here to start the cartoon slideshow.

Controversy over release of Lockerbie bomber

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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The Scottish justice secretary has defended his decision to free the Lockerbie bomber. Terminally-ill Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi (pictured) was freed after receiving a life sentence imposed in 2001 for the UK’s worst terrorist atrocity, which claimed 270 lives in 1988. The 57-year-old, who has prostate cancer, returned home to Libya on Thursday to jubilant scenes. Laura Lynch reports. >>>Click for BBC coverage

Shimon Peres’ poetry set to music

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Shimon Peres receives flowers from Israeli hearthrob Harel Skaat, who sang the song A New Middle East at his birthday celebration

Israeli President Shimon Peres celebrated his 86th birthday last week. He’s been in Israeli politics for more than half a century. And it turns out that during that whole time, he’s also been writing poems, inspired by the historical events he’s witnessed first hand. That poetry has now been set to music. Daniel Estrin will have some samples later today. Photo by Itzik Biran. >>> Watch a video about Peres’ poetry set to music.

Entire program – August 24, 2009

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Today on The World: The Obama administration plans to develop a new elite team for interrogating terrorism suspects; also, Haitian ex-pats get advice from another diaspora: the American Jewish community; and, the songs of Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Plans for new interrogation team

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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The Obama administration is creating a new system for conducting interrogation of terrorism suspects. It’s supposed to be a way to look forward, and avoid mistakes of the past, as The World’s Matthew Bell reports.

Investigating prisoner abuse in the past

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Anchor Jeb Sharp speaks with Columbia law school professor Scott Horton about the Attorney General’s reported plans to recommend re-opening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases.

Fallout over Lockerbie release

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ One comment ⋅ Transcript

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Scotland’s parliament is holding an emergency session to debate the fallout following Scotland’s decision to release the Lockerbie bomber last week. The World’s Laura Lynch has the story.

Treating blindness in Africa

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Health problems the afflict the world’s poor have received unprecedented attention in recent years. But medical workers who focus on lesser known diseases say their efforts remain as difficult as ever. Reporter Odette Yousef of Station WABE followed the struggles of one American organization that’s fighting a leading cause of blindness in Africa.

Flagging US support for Afghanistan

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ One comment ⋅ Transcript

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President Obama has put Afghanistan at the top of his foreign policy agenda. But polls suggest that many Americans don’t share the President’s view on that. Anchor Jeb Sharp speaks with Andrew Exum, a fellow at the Washington think-tank, the Center for a New American Security.

Haiti’s diaspora looks for guidance

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments ⋅ Transcript

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More than a quarter of the Haitian populations lives outside Haiti. Now there are growing efforts to unify and strengthen that diaspora. Haitian leaders in the US are getting some advice from another more established diaspora… The American Jewish community. Amy Bracken reports.

Geo Quiz

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Thousands flee fires in Greece

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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High winds fanned huge wildfires to the north of Athens this past weekend. Many of those fires are now under control. But thousands there were forced to flee their homes, including the BBC’s Malcolm Brabant. He speaks with anchor Jeb Sharp.

Geo Answer

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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For today’s Geo Quiz, we were looking for a Caribbean island that is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The answer is Curacao.

Touring outer space

By The World ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Matthew Wells reports from New Mexico on the building of a new “spaceport” intended as a launch site for future space tourism flights.