2009 November 09 | PRI's The World

Music to bring down walls

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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The BBC is offering a wide range of perspectives on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along with the politicians and writers who were agitating for change in East Berlin, musicians played a role as well and Toni Krahl was one of the best known. He was the lead singer of City – one of the most popular rock bands in East Germany. Here Toni is telling the BBC’s James Coomarasamy what he was doing 20 years ago when the wall was breached…

Entire program – November 9, 2009

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Today on The World: Iran has charged three Americans who entered the country in July with espionage; Also, Venezuela works towards creating a new, corruption-free police force; And France considers charging French tourists who travel to war zones for the cost of rescuing them.

Mideast consultation

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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President Obama is meeting with Israeli prime minster Benjamin Netanyahu. Expectations for the stalled Middle East peace process are low, and the meeting is likely to anger Palestinians, who are already frustrated by what they perceive as backsliding by the Obama administration on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The World’s Matthew Bell reports.

Americans face espionage charge in Iran

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Three young Americans detained in Iran over alleged illegal entry are to be charged with espionage, Iranian state news agency Irna says. The trio is thought to have crossed a poorly marked border by mistake while hiking in Iraq’s Kurdish region. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appealed for their release. Marco Werman talked with Borzou Daragahi, the Middle East correspondent for The Los Angeles Times.

Danger tourism

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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More and more tourists, it seems, are winding up in places they shouldn’t be. Some travel to war zones or countries their government has warned them not to visit. Robert Reid is an editor with the travel guide series, Lonely Planet. Marco Werman asked him why people are heading to dangerous places.

Istanbul struggles with gentrification

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Some of Istanbul’s old neighborhoods are struggling to modernize. The Turkish government is razing buildings to make way for new homes. But in the process, some argue, the original character of the neighborhoods is being destroyed, along with the fabric of the communities that live there. Aaron Schachter reports from Istanbul.

Fourteen walls

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, there are still barriers dividing countries, towns, and families. Pictured is a border fence between Pakistan and India. The desire to contain illegal immigration or violent conflict is often used to justify such walls. The BBC’s Spanish website BBC Mundo profiles 14 such walls. We hear from the project’s editor, Juan Carlos Perez.

The Larsson inheritance

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The family of Swedish crime author Stieg Larsson, who died before his “Millennium” trilogy became a global bestseller, has offered Larsson’s partner a settlement to end a dispute over his inheritance, the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet has reported. The “Millennium” trilogy has become a worldwide phenomenon. The World’s Carol Zall reports on the latest chapter in the Larsson saga.

Billing reckless French tourists

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France’s parliament is considering legislation that would put a financial squeeze on tourists who travel to war zones and other hotspots. Supporters say if reckless tourists need government rescues, they should pay the bill. Genevieve Oger reports from Paris.

Who built Nicaragua’s mosque?

By The World ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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Marco Werman gets details from reporter Steve Stecklow on a new mosque recently built in Nicaragua. There are conflicting reports on how it was funded; including rumors has that it was built with Iranian money.

A new police force for Venezuela

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The government of Venezuela has acknowledged that police are involved in up to 20-percent of the country’s crime. And so, president Hugo Chavez is forming the country’s first ever National Police Force. Will Grant reports.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Protest songs

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We’re hearing lots about walls these days… With some luck, and often a great deal of hardship, walls can come down. The Berlin Wall, of course, fell 20 years ago today. That’s a crowd cheering after the toppling of a mock wall today in Berlin. Artists often play a part in the struggle against barriers. The World’s Gerry Hadden has been looking into what songs symbolized the struggle against the divided Germany. He didn’t find many. But the few he did find mostly came from the former East Germany where artists didn’t have the freedom to say what they meant.

Berlin Wall Anniversary

By Jeb Sharp ⋅ November 9, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ Transcript

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berlinwall_falls1501 This week’s history podcast compiles the best of our stories commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall. Alex Gallafent chases down pieces of the original wall; Gerry Hadden returns to a border town he lived in before the wall came down; Susan Stone finds out what young Germans are learning about their past; Laura Lynch gives us Hungary’s version of tearing down the Iron Curtain; and finally, Gerry Hadden takes us to former East Berlin for a night of nostalgia.